Mesa in a David role

Costa Mesa High went though great turmoil during a seven-game losing skid, but Mustangs football coach Jeremy Osso kept preaching the reality of making the CIF playoffs.

Players were suspended, players left the team, Costa Mesa supporters filled message boards trashing Osso, but the second-year coach kept on telling his kids about the playoffs.

Now, he’s telling them they can do the impossible. That’s what the Mustangs will try to do when they face Pacifica in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs tonight at 7 at Bolsa Grande.

“It’s the old adage of David versus Goliath,” Osso said. “No one is expecting us to do anything, so we go in there with nothing to lose. No one is picking us to win. By no means are we resorting to, ‘Oh, they’re better than us and that’s it.’ They play these games for a reason.”

The Mustangs (3-7), the co-champions of the Orange Coast League, will play this one with some speed back in their offense. The Byrd is back, as in Antwon Byrd. The junior tailback will start at receiver tonight, after missing Mesa’s regular-season finale win over Calvary Chapel with an elbow contusion.

Byrd is the Mustangs’ top statistical leader in rushing and receiving. He has 471 rushing yards on 73 carries (6.45 yards per carry) and 117 receiving yards on six catches.

Senior John Salyer is the Mustangs’ starting tailback. He rushed for 63 yards on 13 carries to help Mesa get the win it needed to make it to the playoffs.

But now the Mustangs will be against great odds tonight. They’ve been outscored, 91-29, the last four weeks, and that includes their 8-0 win over Calvary last week.

The Mariners (7-2) definitely have some offense led by their versatile senior, Tyler Ortiz. In a given game, he plays at receiver and quarterback. He mainly runs when he lines up as the Pacifica signal-caller, but he has attempted eight passes this season. He leads the Mariners with 815 yards receiving and four touchdowns, as he’s quarterback Raymond Huizar’s go-to receiver.

The Mariners enter as the Empire League’s No. 2 representative. They shared the league title with Valencia and Kennedy, but got second place after a coin flip.

Osso continued to display excitement Thursday that the Mustangs won a share of the Orange Coast League title. It’s been a bright spot during Mesa’s tumultuous season.

“We’ve gone through a lot this season,” Osso said. “We knew [the share of the league title] didn’t help us with seeding in the playoffs, but that’s a big thing, especially with the senior class that has been frustrated by so much over the years. We hope it’s a start of things to come.”

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at [email protected].