Football: Mustangs fall in OT
Before Friday night’s nonleague football game, Costa Mesa Coach Wally Grant and Garden Grove Santiago Coach Brandon Croft agreed to play out overtime if there was a tie after regulation.
Grant always wants his teams to play overtime instead of settling for the tie. The reason is simple.
“Any time in the preseason we can get more snaps, that’s what I’m looking for,” Grant said. “Especially with all the ‘young’uns’ that I have. We need all the snaps we can get before we get into league.”
The game between the Mustangs and the Cavaliers did indeed require extra time. Costa Mesa did get four more snaps on offense, starting from the Santiago 25-yard line, but was unable to score more points, giving the ball back to the Cavaliers.
Santiago senior kicker Edgar Vergara made sure his team didn’t come away empty-handed.
Two plays after senior running back Junior Ortega got Santiago closer by ripping off a 20-yard run, it was Vergara’s turn to shine. He easily booted a 25-yard field goal through the uprights to give the Cavaliers a 16-13 victory at Jim Scott Stadium.
The Mustangs are 0-2 for the first time in Grant’s four-year tenure, but he walked away from the game optimistic, even encouraged.
“We’re getting closer,” said Grant, whose team was steamrolled by Northwood, 34-6, in its season opener last week. “I’m a lot more optimistic than I was last week. The coaches are working their butts off, and the kids are working. They’ll figure this offense out, and once we do, we’ll get this offense rolling. Right now, we’re putting a lot of pressure on our defense. We’re getting tired right now, because we’re not doing what we’re supposed to do offensively and our defense is staying out too long.”
Mesa turned the ball over on downs at the Santiago one-yard line midway through the fourth quarter. But, down 13-7 late in the game, they still looked like they would beat Santiago (2-0). Sophomore Jamil Douglas intercepted a pass at the Santiago 31-yard line with three minutes left and returned it for a touchdown. The touchdown was called back due to a penalty, but Mesa still got the ball at the Santiago 12-yard line.
Two plays later, junior running back Mason Mataafa ran it in, tying the score with 2:28 to go. The touchdown run to the left was one of the easiest of the night for Mataafa, who was a workhorse with 135 yards on 37 carries.
But the snap was poor on the extra point. The kick attempt went into the offensive line, denying Mesa a chance for a one-point lead.
“We didn’t get a good snap, so [the holder] was still fumbling the hold,” Grant said. “[Junior kicker Cameron Curet] was trying to kick a moving football, and that’s tough to do. Again, that’s a first-year snapper, and we’re learning at that position too.”
After that, both teams seemed content to play for overtime. The Mustangs got the ball first, but a holding penalty on their first play moved them back. They went for it on fourth-and-17 at the Santiago 32, but a run netted just three yards.
Douglas had a solid all-around game for Costa Mesa, scoring on a bizarre play in the second quarter. After initially waving his arms in a “no” signal, the Santiago punt returner picked up the ball at his own one-yard line. He stood there holding it, apparently thinking he was in the end zone.
He wasn’t. Douglas ripped the ball out and took it in for a touchdown. Senior Austin Sheffner was also in the vicinity and came off the field with the ball, and Mesa had a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Santiago rallied to take the lead in the third quarter on an 82-yard touchdown run by Ortega, who finished with 149 yards on just 14 carries, including the big 20-yard gainer in overtime.
Santiago was on its way to its second straight win over an Orange Coast League opponent after beating Godinez, 13-7, last week.
The Mustangs will have a short week to try to regroup, as they play Katella on Thursday at Glover Stadium.
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Santiago 16, Costa Mesa 13 (OT)
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Santiago 0 – 7 – 6 – 0 – 3 — 16
Costa Mesa 0 – 7 – 0 – 6 – 0 — 13
SECOND QUARTER
CM – Douglas 1 fumble return (Curet kick), 10:54.
Sant – Vasquez 6 pass from Cruz (Vergara kick), 4:47.
THIRD QUARTER
Sant – Ortega 82 run (kick failed), 8:58.
FOURTH QUARTER
CM – Mataafa 5 run (kick failed), 2:28.
OVERTIME
Sant – Vergara 25 FG
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
Sant – Ortega, 14-149, 1 TD.
CM – Mataafa, 37-135, 1 TD.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
Sant – Cruz, 3-7-0, 44, 1 TD.
CM – Swanson, 2-4-0, 16.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
Sant – Bui, 1-24.
CM – Ayala, 1-10.
