Peñaloza: Weber should be Mesa’s permanent coach

Twenty-six is the number of boys’ basketball games Phil Weber has coached so far at Costa Mesa High.

Twenty-six is also how old Weber, an interim walk-on coach, is.

At this point in the season and at his young age, Weber has made the case to be the Mustangs’ permanent coach. Weber has Costa Mesa in contention to claim its first league championship in 10 years.

This week, he led the program to two impressive roads wins in Orange Coast League play. The first was an upset of perennial league champion Laguna Beach and the second at archrival Estancia. Those were two emotional games in a three-day stretch, and Weber had his players prepared.

They first rallied past the Breakers, 55-54, on Wednesday, accomplishing something the Mustangs hadn’t done in 14 years. The previous six coaches at Costa Mesa, Mike Molina, Dan Krikorian, Bryan Rice, Kevin Palmer, Jeff McDaniel and Ryan Schachter, never led the Mustangs to a win at Laguna Beach.

In his first try at Laguna Beach, Weber prevailed as a coach, and because of that, the Mustangs moved into a tie for first with the Breakers. After stealing the game at Laguna Beach, handing the Breakers their first setback in league, the Mustangs beat Estancia, 57-40, on Friday, sweeping the Battle for the Bell two-game series.

Costa Mesa goes into next week’s final two contests in league at 7-1. Both are at home, Tuesday against Godinez and Thursday against Saddleback. Godinez gave the Mustangs a game the first time around, before Costa Mesa prevailed, 54-52, on Jan. 20.

In that contest, Weber didn’t start two usual starters. They showed up late for the shootaround. He hasn’t been afraid to discipline his players for not being on time or following the team rules.

At first, with him being a young coach, players tested Weber. Weber wasn’t having it. He’s had to play the bad cop role.

“I try not to be, but I’m the bad guy,” said Weber, whose two top assistants, Tony Krikorian and Brian Molina, have helped him in his debut season at the helm. “Tony is definitely the good cop, and Brian plays both roles pretty well.”

There was a reason why in late September Costa Mesa went with Weber, promoting the junior varsity coach, instead of interviewing other candidates for the varsity job. Weber played at Costa Mesa, and the 2007 graduate is familiar with the program, having been an assistant the previous seven seasons.

Weber said he plans to meet with school officials in the spring to discuss his future. So far, he has guided Costa Mesa to a 15-11 overall record, six more wins and seven fewer losses than last season. A year ago, the Mustangs finished 2-8 in league, splitting last place with Estancia.

With the Mustangs a week away from possibly capturing their third league title in the program’s history, it’s time to remove Weber’s interim tag and name him the head coach. He’s earned it.

Weber has the Mustangs on the cusp of going from worst to first.

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•The Newport Harbor boys’ basketball team has a shot to finish runner-up in the Sunset League for the first time in eight years.

The Sailors share second place with Edison at 5-3, and they close out league play on Thursday. The matchup is at Newport Harbor, but before then, both programs play on Tuesday. The Sailors are at Marina and Edison, ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA poll, plays host to Fountain Valley.

Newport Harbor and Edison remained in second after the Sailors lost at home to Los Alamitos, 52-45, on Friday, clinching the outright league title for the Griffins, and host Huntington Beach upset the Chargers, 55-52.

Newport Harbor, which has placed third in league the past two seasons, has to win out to take second. The Sailors lost at Edison, 68-55, on Jan. 27, suffering their 15th straight setback to the Chargers.

Newport Harbor Coach Bob Torribio is well aware that it has been eight long years since the Sailors last knocked off Edison. That win in 2007-08 helped the Sailors finish second in league, a game ahead of the Chargers.

Can the Sailors (20-6 overall) pull it off again, beat Edison and place second in league?