Streak Breakers

Barry Faulkner

The Laguna Beach High football players delved deep into their

physical reserves and Dave Holland plucked the last page of a

defensive playbook thickened by 27 seasons as a prep head coach to

help the Breakers earn a 14-7 nonleague victory over former Pacific

Coast League rival Costa Mesa Thursday night at Newport Harbor High.

The victory ended Mesa’s 12-season winning streak over Laguna

Beach and upped the Breakers’ nonleague winning skein to eight games.

“That was a great win,” said a beaming Holland, after the defense

he coordinates had just enough to hold off a comeback bid fueled by a

punishingly efficient Mustang running game.

Costa Mesa, for which senior running back Keola Asuega contributed

198 of its 303 ground yards, drove three times deep into Laguna Beach

territory, only to be denied points by a steadfast, determined and

opportunistic Breaker defense that was aided by several inopportune

Mustang miscues.

Mesa went 13 plays to the Laguna 1-yard line late in the second

quarter, but a missed 32-yard field goal allowed the visitors to take

a 7-0 lead into intermission.

After halftime, Mesa marched to the Breakers’ 5-yard line, before

losing a fumbled snap and coming away with nothing.

The Mustangs (1-2) cashed in Luis Gonzalez’s 14-yard interception

return for a short touchdown drive on their next possession, as

Asuega slashed 2 yards for the TD with 5:19 left in the third

quarter. Nate Hunter’s conversion kick knotted the game at 7-7, but

Laguna’s offense answered.

Riding the talented right arm of junior quarterback Alex Wilson,

the Breakers needed just four plays to drive 74 yards and regain the

lead. Wilson, who finished 13 of 20 for 217 passing yards, had

completions of 7, 46 and 26 on the drive, the 26-yard capper to Ed

Hanke streaking down the sideline to make it 14-7 with 3:42 left in

the third quarter.

The Mesa offense proceeded to churn out rushing yards, but Laguna

bent without breaking on the Mustangs’ next two possessions.

Mesa’s 11-play procession that went as deep as the Laguna 11-yard

line, was turned away when the hosts came up short on fourth-and-11

after senior defensive lineman Clayton Caron’s third-down sack

produced a 12-yard loss.

After Mesa’s defense forced a Laguna punt 53 seconds later, the

hosts used 10 plays to pound from their own 44 to the Breakers’ 7,

before turning the ball over on downs.

The Laguna defense, which spent just more than 16 minutes on the

field before halftime, was clearly drained on Mesa’s two long

second-half drives. But Holland, who called a timeout to counsel his

players following a 25-yard Asuega gallop to the Laguna 49 three

plays after the visitors went up, 14-7, managed to give his unit a

little strategical something. It seemed to help at least prolong the

Mustangs’ advances long enough for them to self-destruct with some of

their 10 penalties or one of five fumbled snaps.

“I put in the goal-line defense, because that was the only thing

we had left,” Holland, who coached Corona del Mar for 20 seasons,

said of his impromptu tutorial near midfield. “We had just enough

defense. They made some mistakes, but I think more high school games

are lost than won. We try to be the team that makes the least

mistakes and we were tonight.”

Laguna’s defense ended Mesa’s final possession when Jake Wheeler

returned an interception 43 yards to the Mustangs’ 2-yard line with

two seconds left.

“We had too many penalties and other mistakes to win,” Perkins

said. “We made two mistakes on defense and they hit receivers behind

us for touchdowns. Give (the Breakers) credit, they beat us. Dave did

a great job of coaching. But we’ll bounce back and we’re going to do

great in the Golden West League (which opens Oct. 4 when they

Mustangs battle Ocean View).”