Saints silence Mesa

Mesa-Santa Ana football gamer for SundaySanta Ana dominates on both sides of the ball in Golden West League victory over the depleted Mustangs Saturday night.SANTA ANA -- Raindrops began falling with less than a minute remaining at the Santa Ana Bowl Saturday night, but the storm clouds spawned much earlier for the Costa Mesa High football team against host and Golden West League foe Santa Ana.

The Mustangs, besieged by injuries throughout the season, particularly on the offensive side that have stalled the drive toward continuity, ran into the Saints, who motored at full-throttle on both sides of the ball.

Senior Jason McCalope torched the Mustangs’ defense for four touchdowns on 215 rushing yards in 20 carries and senior quarterback Richard Arroyo finished 7 of 7 through the air for 130 yards and three scores as the Saints muffled the visitors, 55-0, for their fourth straight victory.

The Saints (4-2, 3-0 in league) dominated on both sides of the ball, compiling 392 yards of offense while holding the Mustangs (0-7, 0-3) to just 31.

Santa Ana scored touchdowns in five of its seven first-half possessions en route to forging a 34-0 lead at halftime. Three of those scoring drives went two plays or less.

Mesa struggled to find its offensive rhythm with two starting tackles harboring injuries. Mustang senior quarterback Ryan French endured a relentless pass rush for most of the contest.

“[The Saints] blitzed their linebackers almost every play and our two new guys on the line didn’t know how to adjust,” Mesa Coach Jay Johnson said. “They outplayed us. Once [the Saints] got a few [early] touchdowns ... I don’t know if we threw our arms up in the air, but they did what they wanted.”

Sophomore Cody De La Mater and senior Giovanni Porcayo each played their first games along the offensive line in place of injured tackles Juan Diaz and Robert Segovia, Johnson said.

The Saints scored their first touchdown two plays into their initial offensive possession of the contest. McCalope split two tacklers and scampered 51 yards untouched into the end zone with 9 minutes, 34 minutes left in the first quarter.

Santa Ana recovered the ensuing kickoff in a scramble as the Mustangs failed to pounce on the ball with the Saints’ special teams unit in pursuit. The Saints missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt on the ensuing possession, one of the few times Santa Ana didn’t capitalize.

The Saints, who faced only two third-down scenarios in seven first-half offensive series, struck for touchdowns their next four offensive series while forcing the Mustangs into four punts and an interception during that span.

Hector Uresti intercepted a tipped pass and ran 9 yards to the Mesa 12-yard line to set up McCalope’s 12-yard TD burst to put the Saints ahead, 21-0, 15 seconds into the second quarter.

Mesa’s deepest penetration of the game came on its final drive of the first half. Senior Ivan Ruiz returned a kickoff 47 yards to the 50. Two personal-foul penalties on Santa Ana gave the Mustangs the ball at the Saints’ 16. The Saints’ defense stiffened and a 33-yard Mesa field-goal try sailed right.