Mustangs find something to build on

Trailing, 27-0, in a extension of a season in which little had gone

right, the Costa Mesa High football team gathered its collective feet

Thursday night against visiting Huntington Beach.

The thick, muscled legs of the linemen, as well as those thinner,

fleeter ones propelling ball carriers, all seemed to settle

underneath Coach Jay Johnson’s teetering team.

And though a 37-14 nonleague defeat was the end result, the

Mustangs clearly emerged from their third setback of the season with

a foundation to, perhaps, build the rest of the season upon.

“When you have different people in positions they haven’t played

on offense, sometimes you wonder if you’re ever going to get it

going,” Johnson said. “But we finally started getting the job done

and I think the kids discovered some confidence.”

After a 12-play Mustang drive ended in a missed field goal, junior

Rudy Hernandez recovered an Oiler fumble on second down at the

Huntington Beach 10 with 1:31 in the first half.

Mesa scored its first offensive touchdown of the season three

plays later, when Tony Krikorian, filling in for returning All-Golden

West League senior Ryan French (shoulder separation), threw to Mitch

Caldwell in the end zone, 26 seconds before intermission.

Costa Mesa opened the second half with some of the same type of

play that helped Huntington Beach (1-1) seize control early.

After a 9-yard Mesa punt, the Oilers went 16 yards on two plays to

build the lead to 34-7 with 9:09 left in the third quarter.

But that was the last time they touched the ball until 11:42

remained in the game.

Costa Mesa (0-3), which came into the contest with a mere 231

yards of total offense this season, including just 2 rushing yards in

a 37-7 loss Friday to Corona del Mar, churned toward the end zone

with a methodical 20-play procession.

The drive, which began at the Mustangs’ own 29-yard line, included

three fourth-down conversions and another third-down conversion to

move the chains, as well as the collective spirit of the team’s

rooters.

Krikorian capped the drive with a 14-yard burst. The touchdown,

followed by the second of two Ryan Bagwell conversion kicks, pulled

the Mustangs to within 34-14 with 11:42 left in the game.

Krikorian, who finished with a team-high 49 yards on 17 carries,

operating out of the shotgun spread for all but one play, began the

scoring play by taking the snap and proceeding to his left on what

appeared to be an option keeper.

The 5-foot-9, 150-pound converted slot receiver cut up toward the

middle of the field, then broke back toward the right hash mark.

Quickly, however, he planted off his right leg to juke a would-be

tackler at the 5, and run untouched into the end zone.

“Tony Krikorian did a fantastic job at quarterback,” Johnson said

of his replacement signal caller, who consistently made Oiler

tacklers miss -- using deception and surprising speed -- and also

using toughness to break tackles.

“He’s a nifty little runner,” Huntington Beach Coach Mike Groscost

said of Krikorian, who finished with two completions for 19 yards,

but was sacked only once (a 7-yard loss).

Sophomore Cody De La Mater and senior Richard Huk combined for 74

rushing yards, splitting that total evenly, though De La Mater’s 16

attempts were three more than Huk’s.

The 116 rushing yards weren’t exactly eye-popping, but Mesa, which

held the ball for all but 7:47 of the second half, was able to amass

31:33 in time of possession. That total was nearly double that of the

Oilers, who run the smashmouth double wing offense.

“I give my offensive linemen a lot of credit,” Johnson said of

tackles Ryan Segovia and Juan Diaz, guards London Sapolu and Robert

De La Cruz, as well as center Raschaad Soomalelogi. “They were coming

to me on the sideline, especially Juan Diaz, and telling me to run

the ball to their side, because they would get the job done.”

While the offense was bullying the black-clad hosts, the Mesa

defense also showed marked improvement after halftime.

“Against that slam offense, it can be tough sometimes, because

[the Oilers] are running four and five guys through the hole,”

Johnson said. “But we finally started running a 50 front and just

crashing guys down and letting the linebackers get to the ball.”

Groscost also had praise for the Mustangs.

“We got up on them pretty good and I think we let up a little

bit,” he said. “But, to its credit, Costa Mesa just started executing

a lot better. [The Mustangs] controlled the ball well on offense.”

A combination of Costa Mesa miscues and efficient Oiler offense

helped put the Mustangs in a big hole.

Huntington Beach opened the scoring when defensive tackle Adam

Pierce collected a blocked punt and returned it 10 yards for a TD

with 5:54 left in the first quarter.

The Oilers scored on their next three possessions, twice after

gaining possession at the Mesa 10.

Tyler Haunreiter recovered a fumble at the 10 that led to a two-play touchdown drive. Then a bobbled punt snap on the ensuing

Costa Mesa possession, set the hosts up again at the 10.

Huntington cashed in two plays later for a 27-0 cushion with 7:58

left in the first half.

French who watched in street clothes with his right throwing arm

in a sling, may return either next week against Laguna Beach or for

the Sept. 30 Golden West League opener against Estancia, Johnson

said.

Senior tailback Tyler Legg, another all-league returner, watched

the game in a wheelchair. He underwent surgery on his right ankle and

is out for the season. season, Johnson said.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

*--*

Costa Mesa 0 7 0 7 - 14

Huntington Beach 14 13 7 3 - 37

*--*

FIRST QUARTER

HB -- Pierce 10 blocked punt return (Archer kick), 5:54.

HB -- Roemer 15 run (Archer kick), 0:39.

SECOND QUARTER

HB -- Gabbard 3 run (Archer kick), 10:38.

HB -- Jaso 6 pass from Crandell (kick failed), 7:58.

CM -- Caldwell 5 pass from Krikorian (Bagwell kick), 0:26.

THIRD QUARTER

HB -- Jaso 11 pass from Crandell (Archer kick), 9:09.

FOURTH QUARTER

CM -- Krikorian 14 run (Bagwell kick), 11:42.

HB -- Archer 24 FG, 2:15.

A -- 900 (est.)

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

CM -- Krikorian, 17-49, 1 TD; De La Mater, 16-37; Huk, 13-37;

Hyunh, 2-6; Waldron, 2-0; Bagwell, 1-minus-13.

HB -- Roemer, 10-84, 1 TD; Gabbard, 7-40, 1 TD; Tran, 7-38;

Gordon, 2-24; Crandell, 2-7; team, 1-minus-1.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

CM -- Krikorian, 2-7-1, 19, 1 TD; Waldron, 1-2-0, 2.

HB -- Crandell, 3-6-0, 38, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

CM -- Huk, 1-14; Caldwell, 1-5, 1 TD; De La Mater, 1-2.

HB -- Jaso, 3-38, 2 TDs.

GAME STATISTICS

*--*

CM HB

First downs 9 10

Rushes-yardage 51-116 29-192

Passing yardage 21 38

Passing 3-9-1 3-6-0

Net return yards* 0 20

Sacks-yardage 1-7 0-0

Net yardage 137 250

Punts 3-24.4 2-33

Fumbles-fumbles lost 7-1 2-2

Flags-net yardage 2-10 8-45

Time of possession 31:33 16:27

*Punt returns, interceptions, fumble returns

*--*