Bagwell’s boot is clutch for Mustangs

Kicker connects from 22 yards out for dramatic homecoming victory over Saddleback Friday night.COSTA MESA -- It wasn’t for a championship, title or trophy, but for the Costa Mesa High football team, it was the grandest stage all season.

And there were plenty of firsts to be had -- the most significant coming in the final seconds in dramatic fashion.

Senior kicker Ryan Bagwell booted a line drive through the uprights from 22 yards out with five seconds remaining to give the Mustangs a 23-21 Golden West League victory over visiting Saddleback on Friday at Orange Coast College.

It was a first win for first-year Mustangs Coach Jay Johnson, and it was an emotional victory the team has long been waiting for.

“Oh man, this is like the Super Bowl for us,” said Johnson, after being doused with ice water. “It’s awesome just to get a victory under our belt, see the kids succeed and see them get really excited about what they’re doing.”

After the kick sailed through the goal posts, the Mesa sideline -- consisting of a larger crowd due to homecoming -- erupted in jubilation, as the Mustangs improved to 1-7, 1-3 in league. Saddleback fell to 2-5, 1-3.

Bagwell, a star player for the boys’ volleyball team, became the star for the football team Friday night in the victory.

“We won finally,” Bagwell said. “I missed those two earlier in the game (an extra point and a field goal), but I managed to get that last one through. This [win] will keep us going. We’re going to finish out the season the best we can.”

Bagwell provided the finishing touches, but senior running back Ivan Ruiz, senior receiver Tony Krikorian and sophomore fullback Cody De La Mater enabled the Mustangs to get in scoring position for the win.

Ruiz, carrying the bulk of the load in Costa Mesa’s revamped, double-wing offense, rushed for 164 yards on 30 carries. Krikorian ran for 120 yards on 11 carries, and threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to junior wideout Josh Lowe on a halfback option play in the first quarter.

De La Mater, 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, bruised the Roadrunners’ defensive line for 87 yards on nine carries and a score.

“It’s a great victory for us,” Ruiz said. “We worked really hard in practice and I feel like we deserve it. We all put in a big part and we got the victory.”

Though the Mustangs earned the victory, it appeared from the beginning it wouldn’t be such a close contest.

Costa Mesa jumped out to a 20-0 first-quarter lead with a 1-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Ryan French, a 42-yard scamper by De La Mater and the halfback pass from Krikorian to Lowe.

But the Mustangs sputtered in the scoring department for the remainder of the game, not adding any points until the winning field goal by Bagwell.

Costa Mesa’s winning drive was set up with a Saddleback fumble that was recovered by junior Cody Waldron, who breathed new life into the Mustangs just when things were looking bleak.

Trailing, 21-20, with 3:09 remaining, Costa Mesa failed to convert on fourth-and-eight on Saddleback’s 34-yard line. The game appeared to be in the control of the Roadrunners.

But two plays later, Saddleback fumbled and Waldron recovered it on the Mustangs’ 39, setting up the game-winning drive.

Krikorian had a 20-yard scamper to fuel the drive, while Ruiz punched ahead for 7 yards. After a Saddleback face-masking penalty, Mesa found itself on the 5-yard line with nine seconds left.

Saddleback called two straight timeouts to try and ice Bagwell, but the kicker ended up icing the Roadrunners, pushing the kick through for the win.