Mesa survives scare

SANTA ANA — When the strategy, as well as a fired-up underdog football team from Godinez High was nearly beating his boys at halftime Thursday night, Costa Mesa Coach Jeremy Osso knew what he had to do.

Osso and his staff immediately began thinking inside the tackle box, scrapping their attempts to get their passing game going and triggering a strong second half, well, run that produced a 27-14 Orange Coast League win at Segerstrom High.

“We came out wanting to throw the ball and get our quarterback in rhythm,” Osso said of the first half, in which the Mustangs failed to complete any of their five passes, which included one interception.

Twice the Mustangs (3-5, 2-0 in league) misfired through the air on third down, forcing punts.

Godinez (1-7, 0-2), with a roster void of seniors in its first varsity season, took a 7-0 lead after driving 63 yards on eight plays late in the first quarter.

Costa Mesa’s ensuing drive began with an incomplete pass, but seven consecutive run plays followed, capped by a three-yard touchdown run by senior Antwon Byrd. Byrd followed with the two-point conversion run and Mesa took its 8-7 lead into halftime.

“Not taking anything away from Godinez, but we thought this would be one of those times when our seniors could handle their sophomore and juniors,” Osso said. “But we reevaluated that in a hurry at halftime.”

Mesa, which has some success on the ground before intermission, stuck to the rushing attack on its first second-half possession. After taking over at its 37-yard line, senior fullback Christian Argumedo burrowed up the middle three straight times for 23 yards.

After Byrd gained seven yards to the 33, he bounced around the right side for a 33-yard scoring run that made it 14-7 with 7:18 left in the third quarter.

Still more runs, including a 37-yard gain on a counter by senior wingback Robbie Gemayel, helped the visitors advance to the Godinez nine-yard line on its next possession. But a holding call prompted two pass plays that resulted in incompletions to stall the drive.

Costa Mesa finished zero for nine through the air, but gained 301 yards on 37 rushing attempts, 17 of which gained at least seven yards.

Gemayel had five of the Mustangs’ eight double-digit ground gains, finishing with 151 yards on seven carries.

The offensive line of tackles Thomas Guzowski and Argenis Valencia, guards Travis Whitlock and Camilo Enriquez and center Juan Garces, helped create sizable holes all night, though not always for Byrd, who had averaged 173.5 rushing yards the previous two games, both victories.

Byrd finished with 90 yards on 14 attempts, thoroughly occupying the defense’s focus to help the counters go for big yards the other way.

“When they try to take Antwon away, you go to what you have to go to,” Osso said. “[Gemayel] ran well and so did [Argumedo] up the middle at times. Nick Pederson (12 rushing yards) also carried the ball well at times.”

Argumedo, who had 58 bruising yards on 10 carries, scored from three yards out to cap a two-play, 10-yard drive that began after a low punt snap produced a six-yard loss for the Grizzlies.

A Costa Mesa defense that included two Manny Gomez interceptions and sacks by Jason Schroeder, Brian Simrak and Garces, helped hold the hosts to 87 rushing yards.

But Godinez quarterback Victor Silva threw for 102 yards to help the visitors give Mesa a scare.

After Godinez cashed in a fumble recovery for a 30-yard TD drive with 2:24 left in the game, the hosts recovered an onside kick at the Costa Mesa 49.

But a Gomez pick ended the threat and Gemayel sprinted 65 yards on the next snap for a clinching touchdown.

Gemayel was not concerned about his team’s aerial futility.

“As long as our run game is there, we’re OK,” Gemayel said.

The Mustangs continue pursuit of a league crown Nov. 1 against Calvary Chapel, which fell to league co-leader Laguna Beach, 34-12, Thursday.

COSTA MESA 27, GODINEZ 14

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Costa Mesa 0 8 6 13 - 27

Godinez 7 0 0 7 - 14

FIRST QUARTER

G – Fuentes 8 run (Rojas kick), 0:21.

SECOND QUARTER

CM – Byrd 3 run (Byrd run), 9:43.

THIRD QUARTER

CM – Byrd 33 run (kick failed), 7:18.

FOURTH QUARTER

CM – Argumedo 3 run (Guevera kick), 10:47.

G – Fuentes 4 run (Rojas kick), 2:24.

CM – Gemayel 65 run (kick failed), 1:23.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

CM – Gemayel, 7-151, 1 TD; Byrd, 14-90, 2 TDs; Argumedo, 10-58, 1 TD; Pederson, 3-12; Davis, 2-minus 9; team, 1-minus 1.

G – Williams, 13-37; Fuentes, 8-34, 2 TDs; Silva, 13-13; Riggs, 3-10; team, 2-minus 7.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

CM – Davis, 0-8-1.

G – Silva, 9-20-2, 102.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

CM – None.

G – Williams, 3-50; Calvo, 2-14; Sanchez, 2-12; Sauceda, 1-15; Fuentes, 1-11.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.