Mustangs remain positive

COSTA MESA — For the first 24 minutes, the Costa Mesa High football team was engaged in a dogfight against Huntington Beach on Friday night at Orange Coast College.

Even as the Oilers (3-0) piled on points in the second half, Costa Mesa Coach Jeremy Osso walked away encouraged, shrugging off the eventual 41-7 loss that dropped the Mustangs to 0-3.

“I don’t think the score indicates how good of a game we played tonight,” Osso said. “One of their touchdowns came with a minute left, two were big runs and two were set up by us. I think this is a huge turning point for our team, that now our guys realize they can hang with the big boys.”

Huntington Beach senior Stephen Gabbard had 259 rushing yards and four touchdowns but it was a battle early, even as the Mustangs benched seven projected starters.

Osso said the players, including quarterback Cody Waldron and receiver/cornerback Kirkland Huynh, were punished for violating team rules. Waldron sat out the first quarter.

The Oilers scored first, late in the first quarter on Johnny Olive’s two-yard touchdown run. The drive — which started from the Costa Mesa 25 — was set up when the Mustangs’ punt snap sailed wide.

Huntington Beach used field position again to set up its next score. Starting at midfield, the Oilers ran Gabbard five consecutive times, the last being a four-yard scamper into the end zone late in the opening half.

At halftime, Gabbard had just 86 yards, but it certainly wasn’t the last time the Mustangs would see No. 34 burst through a hole.

“That’s what their offense is designed to do; it wears you down,” Osso said. “Unfortunately, we also spotted them some great field position in the first half. We need to work on our special teams.”

Huntington Beach again struck first in the third quarter. On the first play after a Costa Mesa turnover on downs, Gabbard found a seam and took off, sprinting toward the pylon for a 62-yard touchdown run and a 21-0 lead.

Costa Mesa immediately responded on its next drive. Waldron again hooked up with Josh Lowe, who broke a tackle in the open field and scored a 45-yard touchdown to pull the Mustangs back within two TDs.

Lowe had an earlier touchdown called back due to a Costa Mesa holding penalty.

“They’re a good team, so it was fun to score on them,” Lowe said. “Our team got it back and let me score again, so I was happy with that.”

But Costa Mesa couldn’t find the end zone again, despite the efforts of Waldron and Huynh. Huynh finished with 103 receiving yards.