Costa Mesa vs. Beckman

When: Tonight, 7

Where: Tustin High

Key Mustangs: Senior receiver Antwon Byrd; senior tailback-linebacker Robbie Gemayel; senior two-way lineman Juan Garces; junior quarterback Todd Davis.

Key Patriots: Junior running back Keith Lawson (111 rushing yards); senior running back Tyler Sackman (109 rushing yards); senior linebacker Brian Yim (129 tackles in 2007); senior defensive lineman Brendon Birdsell (6-foot-5, 230 pounds).

Breakdown: If the Costa Mesa High football program were a Broadway production the last three seasons, it might have closed on opening night. The Mustangs lost this season’s opener, 55-3, to Corona del Mar, after being handled in debuts by Savanna, 62-7 in 2007 and 55-7 in 2006 ... The Mustangs have also lost their second game the last four seasons and are heavy underdogs against Beckman, ranked No. 9 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division after a 42-0 season-opening triumph over Cerritos ... Mustangs Coach Jeremy Osso said tackling was his defense’s biggest problem against CdM, which rolled up 334 of its 389 offensive yards on the ground ... The Mustangs also were without tailback-linebacker Gemayel (foot injury) in the opener, and his return figures to provide a boost. Gemayel is a two-time first-team All-Orange Coast League linebacker. He is not starting, but might play, Osso said ... Costa Mesa’s Davis earned praise from Osso for completing eight of 17 passes for 82 yards in his varsity debut ... Davis was sacked five times and will be pursued by a Beckman defense with four returning all-leaguers that had six sacks in the opener ... Lim and Birdsell were both first-team All-PCL honorees in 2007 ... The Patriots, 6-4 last fall, have never made the CIF playoffs ... Fred Shambaugh, Beckman’s defensive coordinator last season, is in his first season as head coach.

— Barry Faulkner