High School Football: Costa Mesa vs. Santiago

Costa Mesa (0-1) vs. Santiago (0-1)

When/where: Friday 7 p.m., at Costa Mesa High

Key Mustangs: Sr. RB Cody Merrifield; Jr. QB Ben Swanson; So. TE Jack Perez; Sr. Christian Villaverde.

Key Cavaliers: Jr. QB Angel Tajimaroa; Sr. WR Dominick Smith-Dotson; Sr. LB Darwin Lira; So. DL Alfredo Mojica.

Breakdown: Both teams are coming off season-opening losses. The Mustangs fell to Orange, 43-0, and Santiago dropped a 50-14 verdict to Sunny Hills … Both teams struggled on the ground last week. Santiago finished with minus-eight rushing yards and Costa Mesa had that same total in the first half against Orange … Costa Mesa has lost five in a row, while Santiago has lost 11 of its last 12 … The two teams have met for the last 10 seasons, including two CIF Southern Section playoff games (both Cavalier wins in 2008 and 2009) … Mesa won last year’s meeting, 25-14, and has won four of the last five … Santiago, which won the first five of that 10-season stretch, earned a 16-13 overtime victory over the Mustangs in 2014 … Lira and Mojica combined for 19 tackles against Sunny Hills … Perez (four catches for 45 yards) accounted for more than half of Mesa’s passing yards last week.

— Barry Faulkner