Mustangs are ‘Osso’ eager

The Costa Mesa High football team has its fourth coach in four years and prepares to run its third offense in two years.

Stability hasn’t been a word that you’d associate with Costa Mesa football the last two years. Neither, for the most part, is competitive.

But 29-year-old former assistant coach Jeremy Osso is trying to right the ship.

The Mustangs have not been to the playoffs since 2002 and have not won a playoff game since 1997. Costa Mesa is coming off back-to-back seasons of 3-7 (including a loss to Laguna Beach that became a forfeit win) and 2-8.

But after spending some time working with his players, Osso is optimistic coming into the season.

“We’re just looking to improve off of last year,” Osso said. “We feel that this team is better than last year’s record indicates. I realized when I got over here the cupboard is not bare. There’s a lot of talent here.”

The talent starts with 6-foot-1, 175-pound senior Cody Waldron, who will quarterback an offense that runs out of the I-formation. Osso helped run a similar offense last year as a co-offensive coordinator at Corona del Mar.

Former Mustangs quarterback Bill Lux, who was a co-offensive coordinator at Costa Mesa last year, returns as the offensive coordinator to help put the system in place.

Osso said Waldron, who has been in the program for four years, has done a good job of picking up the offense, which he likens to the Baltimore Ravens’ scheme of power running mixed with a West Coast-type throwing offense.

“He’s a heck of an athlete,” Osso said about Waldron, who also plays basketball and baseball. “He’s not a vocal leader, he leads by example. He throws well and rolls out well.”

In limited action last year as the backup quarterback to Ryan French (35 of 105 passing for 317 yards, 14 interceptions and one touchdown), Waldron was three of 23 for 19 yards and three interceptions in the spread offense. He also caught 10 passes for 88 yards as a receiver.

Waldron, who was a first-team All-Golden West League selection last year as a defensive back, leads the defense at weak-side linebacker. He joins a linebacking unit that includes hard-hitting Cody De La Mater.

“Cody hits like a truck,” Osso said. “One solid hit can change the momentum of a game. He’ll be that guy.”

De La Mater, a 5-10, 215-pound junior, also will run the ball out of the fullback position. He had 59 carries for 229 yards last year, including a 42-yard touchdown run in Costa Mesa’s 23-21 win over Saddleback.

The Mustangs’ main man on the offensive and defensive lines is returning starter London Sapolu.

The 6-foot, 245-pound senior is the Mustangs’ biggest starter on both units. The son of former NFL All-Pro Jesse Sapolu, he is slated to play left guard on offense and end on defense.

“London has been a beast off the end all summer,” Osso said.

The Mustangs will need all the production they can get from Sapolu, because they don’t have a lot of size in the trenches.

“We’re not real big,” Osso said. “We don’t have any 300-pounders. London is our biggest guy. But you can’t measure heart, and these guys have heart.”

Costa Mesa hopes to get production from guys who could end up playing big roles for the first time on the varsity level, including seniors D.J. Lepper and Asa Hawks, as well as sophomore Antwon Byrd.

Lepper is penciled in as the starting running back and Hawk could see action as well.

“We’re high on Hawks, he’ll play somewhere,” Osso said. “He’s finally buying in. He’ll be on the field somewhere.”

Lepper is hungry for varsity action after having to play on the junior varsity last year because he was a transfer from Estancia.

“He’s dying to get out there,” Osso said.

The 5-7, 160-pound Lepper is a shifty runner.

“I tell him not to cut too much,” Osso said. “Eventually he has to run straight.”

Byrd, a 6-1, 175-pounder, has the athleticism, but not the experience. He’ll battle for time at receiver and defensive back.

Senior Kirkland Huynh was a starter at receiver last year, but is slated to play an even bigger role this season as the potential No. 1 option. Huynh (5-8, 153) is a slot receiver who will line up off the line of scrimmage. He’ll also start at cornerback.

“He’s small but has big heart and a great work ethic,” Osso said.

Osso, who spent 10 years as an assistant coach, including stints at Costa Mesa, Estancia and Corona del Mar, said last year’s junior varsity team went 7-3, so there should also be help from below.

“Those guys coming back and they are excited about football,” Osso said.

Costa Mesa has won just one of its last eight playoff games since it reached the CIF Division VIII title game in 1993. The Mustangs beat Buena Park in a first-round win in 1997.

But the newly formed Orange Coast League features just four teams — Costa Mesa, Estancia, Calvary Chapel and Laguna Beach — that are similar in skill level, if last year’s output means anything.

Laguna Beach had the best record of the bunch, going 5-4-1, but it was just 2-4 in the Pacific Coast League.

Calvary Chapel was 1-9, 1-5 in the Pacific Coast League.

Estancia finished 2-9, 2-4 in the Golden West League.

“The players want to erase a lot of doubts,” Osso said. “They want to prove the naysayers wrong.”

Costa Mesa’s nonleague schedule includes just one team that finished with a winning record last year in Huntington Beach (6-5). It also includes three Garden Grove League teams — Santiago (5-5), Rancho Alamitos (4-6) and Bolsa Grande (0-10) — as well as Savanna (4-6), Katella (4-6) and Cerritos (2-8).

Costa Mesa’s 10 regular-season opponents were a combined 33-68-1 last year.

“The schedule is winnable,” Osso said. “It’s not like we can’t go out and win some games. But we’re not making wins and losses the focus of our season, or making that the gauge of our success … By the time we get to league, we want to be able to compete in every game. We want to improve every day.”

THE MUSTANGS

Colors: Green and white

League: Golden West.

2004 record: 2-8, 2-6 in league.

Type of offense: Spread

Type of defense: Four-three

Head coach: Jeremy Osso (first year)

Staff: Osso (defensive coordinator); Bill Lux (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks); Nick Romo (defensive line); Justin Gonzalez (offensive and defensive line); Bob Martin (secondary); Gary Gonzales (receivers, linebackers); Brad Young (quarterbacks).

Returning starters: Five offense, three defense.

Returning lettermen: 23

Returning with honors: DB Cody Waldron

2005 ResultsOpponentScoreBrea Olinda 30-0 LCorona del Mar 37-7 LHuntington Beach 37-14 LLaguna Beach 31-9 LCosta Mesa* 20-14 LWestminster* 47-6 LSanta Ana* 55-0 LSaddleback* 23-21 WOcean View* 24-0 WOrange* 48-2 L

2006 ScheduleDateOpponentSiteTimeFridaySavannaLa Palma Park7 p.m.Sept. 7Rancho AlamitosBolsa Grande7 p.m.Sept. 15Hunt. BeachOCC7 p.m.Sept. 22Bolsa GrandeOCC7 p.m.Sept. 28SantiagoOCC7 p.m.Oct. 6Katella La Palma Park7 p.m.Oct. 20CerritosGahr7 p.m.Oct. 27Estancia*Newport Har.7 p.m.Nov. 2Calvary Chapel*Newport Har.7 p.m.Nov. 10Laguna Beach*Newport Har.7 p.m.

* denotes league game