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Mustangs focus within

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First-year Costa Mesa High football coach Jay Johnson grew up in a

football family in Chandler, Ariz. fueling a passion for the strategy

of the game.

But entering his 15th season of coaching, he has learned not to

get too carried away in anticipating what opposing teams are going to

do.

“I love the chess match and trying to throw your talent in there

and compete,” Johnson said. “But I like to figure out what my team’s

strengths are, play to them and not worry about what other team’s

strengths are. We need to do what we do and if other teams are good

enough to beat us, they’re going to beat us.”

Johnson believes the Mustangs have enough talent to win more than

they lose this season.

Here’s a position-by-position breakdown:

Quarterback: Senior Ryan French could be the leading beneficiary

of a shift from the wing T to Johnson’s no-huddle spread offense. A

second-team All-Golden West League performer as a junior, French

threw for 1,000 yards and seven TDs in 2004. He completed 67 of 171

with 10 interceptions.

“Ryan has a good arm and a decent touch,” Johnson said of the

6-foot-2, 175-pounder. “He can put the ball where he needs to put it.

And him and Tony Krikorian [expected to start at slot and safety] are

probably the two best conditioned players on the team.”

Johnson said French has already begun to process the intricacies

of this offense, including constantly having to read the defense.

“I think he’s catching on and feeling confident about it,” Johnson

said.

Junior Cody Waldron is the heir apparent, Johnson said. But if he

is called upon to trigger the offense this year, he will contribute

as a probable starter at receiver.

Senior Dennis Franco, expected to add depth, broke his wrist in

practice and is out indefinitely.

Running back: Senior Tyler Legg (5-10, 170) earned first-team

all-league recognition after rushing for 1,049 yards and 10

touchdowns as a junior. He will be featured in the one-back set, and

is expected to make another run at a 1,000-yard season.

“He’s strong and quick and a very powerful runner,” said Johnson,

who called Legg a north-south runner.

Legg had only one TD run of more than 10 yards last season (25).

And while Johnson plans to use Legg as a workhorse, restricting his

time at linebacker to focus his energy on offense, there are plans to

offer defenses a slightly different look.

“I like to have a strong powerful back, but I like to use a backup

who is a scat guy, who can present a little change-up,” Johnson said.

That guy was expected to have been senior Ivan Ruiz (5-6, 155),

but he suffered a knee injury last week. Johnson fears it was a torn

ACL, but the diagnosis was yet to be determined.

Ruiz, who gained 94 yards on 17 carries last season.

The slot position will also figure into the running game --

typically as pitch men in the option attack -- Johnson said.

Another running back with some wiggle, Johnson said, is sophomore

Cody De La Mater (5-9, 192). De La Mater, the MVP on the freshman

team last season, is slated to start at outside linebacker and is,

his coach believes, a future star.

“He’s going to be a good one,” Johnson said.

Receivers: The four-receiver set is broken down into two wideouts

and two slots.

Johnson said he prefers tall wideouts, while the slots, who are

incorporated into the running game, need to have skills associated

more with running backs.

Johnson said Waldron (6-1, 175) and senior Mitch Caldwell (6-1,

175) are the frontrunners at wideout.

Waldron had five receptions for 48 yards last year and Caldwell

averaged averaged 23.5 yards on his two catches in 2004.

Krikorian and Evan Hunter, both seniors, were projected to start

at slot, Johnson said.

Krikorian is set to start Friday’s opener at Brea Olinda, but

Hunter’s surgically repaired shoulder has not responded well to

hitting early, so he may be held out early to insure he comes back at

full strength, Johnson said.

Hunter had four catches for 68 yards last season, when he also

carried 28 times for 103 rushing yards, the second-best total on the

team.

Johnson said Hunter (5-9, 160) is the fastest player on the team

and has admirable toughness.

Krikorian (5-9, 150), a member of the varsity basketball team

since he was a freshman, is an extremely hard worker, evidenced by

his 4.0 grade-point average, Johnson said.

Krikorian had two catches for 16 yards last season.

Junior Kirkland Huynh (5-7, 151) figures to start in place of

Hunter, Johnson said.

Seniors John Morris (5-8, 145) and John Nicoll (5-9, 140) are

expected to provide depth at slot.

Senior Ryan Bagwell (6-1, 185), a first-team all-league kicker as

a junior and also a standout on the volleyball team, as well as

junior Asa Hawks (6-0, 160) are capable backups at wideout.

Offensive line: Senior right guard Robert De La Cruz (5-10, 255),

is the lone returning starter and has assumed a leadership role for a

unit that could include five two-way starters.

De La Cruz is also slated to man the middle linebacker spot.

Senior center Raschaad Soomalelogi (5-11, 240), will likely be

joined in the starting front wall by left guard London Sapolu (6-1,

225), left tackle Ryan Segovia (6-0, 270) and right tackle Juan Diaz

(6-1, 300).

Sapolu’s father, Jesse, was a former All-Pro center and guard with

the San Francisco 49ers. Landon’s older brother, Luke, starred at

Costa Mesa and is the projected starting center this season at Orange

Coast College.

Though they average 259 pounds, Johnson said all are nimble enough

to execute in this system.

“I really don’t care how big you are, if you can move your feet

and get in the proper position,” Johnson said.

And, averaging just below 6-0, French should have little trouble

finding sight lines to receivers.

Seniors Daniel Muniz (5-10, 245), Edgar Mendoza (5-5, 210),

Ricardo Guevara (5-8, 240) and Giovanni Porcayo (5-10, 213) are

primary backups.

Defensive line: Diaz returns at tackle to anchor the front wall in

the traditional four-three scheme, with junior Rudy Hernandez set to

assume the other tackle spot.

Soomalelogi and Porcayo are projected to start at end, but Johnson

said Guevara’s presence at end may allow Soomalelogi to concentrate

on his offensive role.

“Raschaad and Gio are both kind of quick rush ends and Ricardo is

more of a run stuffer,” Johnson said.

Muniz and Mondoza are among the backups up front.

Linebackers: De La Mater and Sapolu are projected to start at

outside ‘backer, flanking De La Cruz in the middle.

“As a threesome, they have the size and aggressiveness I like,”

Johnson said. “They can all shed blockers and get to the ball

carrier. And Landon, I think, has enough speed to cover a tight end,

He can cover and still come up and thump you. All three are very

physical players.”

Johnson said De La Mater, who also wrestles for the Mustangs, has

impressed him greatly over the spring and summer.

“He might even play in the middle for us,” Johnson said. “He’s

just a baby right now, physically, and I think he’s going to be very

big. And he’s very good in the weight room.”

Legg provides depth in the middle and Franco does the same

outside, Johnson said.

Secondary: Just before fall practice, Johnson shook up the

secondary by shifting safeties to corners. The move was made to put

the best tacklers at corner, something Johnson prefers.

“I want aggressive tacklers at the corner positions, said Johnson,

who believes Caldwell and Krikorian will provide that.

Caldwell was a linebacker last year, Johnson said.

Waldron is projected to start at strong safety, with Morris

opening at free safety.

Hyunh and Ruiz, should he return, are also expected to contribute

at cornerback.

Hunter could see time at corner or safety, while Nicoll and Hawks

are also potential contributors at safety.

Kicking game: Bagwell, a second-team all-league kicker last

season, returns. He had three field goals, with a long of 36 yards,

and converted 20 of 23 PATs. He averaged 33.6 yards per punt with 11

inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

Sapolu has Division I ability as a long-snapper, Johnson said.

Lowe and Hunter are potential kick returners.

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