Daily Pilot High School Football Player of the Week

Luis Gomez is quiet, so when he speaks, the Costa Mesa High football team listens.

Two days prior to the biggest game in town, the Battle for the Bell, Gomez spoke up.

“We are the team to beat,” said the senior, referring to the Orange Coast League. “We were the team last year. We were the team the year before.”

The Mustangs start their league title defense tonight against rival Estancia at 7. The league opener for both schools is at Estancia High, but Gomez said Jim Scott Stadium belongs to one team.

“That’s ours,” Gomez said of the facility, which is in its second year. “We beat them last year. It’s ours.”

One thing is for sure, Costa Mesa (3-3) is the home team tonight.

The Mustangs enter the game a lot more confident than last year’s game against Estancia (4-2), ranked No. 9 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division poll. Gomez has played a crucial role in Costa Mesa winning three of its last four games.

During the stretch, Gomez has scored four touchdowns, two receiving and two rushing, and has been a shutdown cornerback.

Last year, the Mustangs entered the game against Estancia at 1-5, struggling to stop opposing offenses. Costa Mesa elevated its play on defense against Estancia and won, 14-7, ending a four-game losing streak to the Eagles.

The Mustangs continued to roll the rest of the way. They closed out the regular season with five consecutive victories, going 4-0 in league.

Gomez remembers the success and he wants to keep winning. He will try to help Costa Mesa extend a five-game winning streak in league dating back to 2007.

“It sets the tone,” Gomez said of facing Estancia in the beginning of league. “It pumped us up [last year] and helped [us] win the rest of the [league] games and win league.”

Costa Mesa won the league title outright last season after splitting it with Estancia in 2007. Gomez has been a part of both teams.

The role for Gomez at Costa Mesa has changed in his final year at the school. He plays wing, wide receiver, cornerback, and returns kicks, duties he has handled before on the team.

One is new.

“I had to step it up and be a leader,” Gomez said.

Gomez is not the type to get in a player’s face or give a motivational speech before a game. Coach Jeremy Osso doesn’t need his all-purpose threat to lead that way.

“He’s the guy who speaks softly, but carries a big stick,” Osso said.

Gomez exhibited his will to compete last week in the Mustangs’ 48-34 nonleague victory against Century.

The week before, Osso said Gomez hurt a shoulder that has bothered him since his junior year. Osso said Gomez’ doctor hasn’t been able to figure out the problem. Rest was the best way to recover.

Cleared by the doctor to play, Gomez suited up. Osso didn’t start Gomez on offense and planned to limit him.

Things changed when Costa Mesa, already ahead, 17-0, had a chance to blow the game open early in the second quarter.

“We saw an opportunity where he could have an immediate impact,” Osso said. “We figure if we get him in the game, he makes the immediate impact, and we get him out of the game. Usually, we don’t do that with a kid.”

Being a three-year starter, Osso trusted Gomez.

Osso sent Gomez in to play offense in the second quarter. Immediately, Gomez hooked up with quarterback Todd Davis on a 40-yard touchdown pass.

“It might have been his first play of the game,” said Osso, knowing it wouldn’t be Gomez’ last.

Gomez caught another touchdown pass from Davis in the quarter and he scored on a 67-yard run after taking a handoff from Davis in the fourth.

With the Mustangs gaining momentum before league, this is the time they begin their road back to the top.

“We talked about it before the season started,” Gomez said of winning league again. “This is our year. We’re going to do this. We’re going to do that.”

It’s up to Gomez and the Mustangs to live up to those loud words.