Mesa’s first win comes at new stadium
Costa Mesa High closed out its debut season at its new football stadium with its first win.
The Mustangs avoided their first winless season in 27 years by shutting out Saddleback, 6-0, at Mustangs Field on Friday.
The game-winning score came with 7 minutes 18 seconds left, when quarterback Ben Swanson threw a 23-yard touchdown to Christian Villaverde. The touchdown helped Costa Mesa end an eight-game losing streak in Orange Coast League play.
“It’s huge,” Costa Mesa Coach Glen Fisher said of the win coming on the night the Mustangs honored their seniors. “Our seniors never stopped doing the right thing and they never stopped working. We got a couple of guys back [like safety Elijah Collado] that have been injured all year that played a big role [with Collado intercepting two passes].
“We got that first win in that stadium on senior night and it’s a great memory. They will always have that. The seniors … will be able to say they won the first game in the new stadium. It’s big for the program. The way the people flooded the field and celebrated, it looked like we just won a CIF championship.”
Fisher was especially happy to see seniors like Roman Ayala and Antonio Leal, who played every game, go out as winners.
Ayala, who played almost everywhere on the field, ran the ball and caught it, and tackled whoever had the ball. Fisher said Ayala, a linebacker, made 20 tackles in the regular-season finale.
“He put the team on his shoulders,” Fisher said. “He battled through cramps. He’s a special kid.”
Costa Mesa finished the season 1-9 overall and 1-4 in league. The Mustangs shared fourth place with rival Estancia and Saddleback.
Godinez won the league title by going 5-0, Laguna Beach took second at 4-1 and Calvary Chapel was third at 3-2. The Grizzlies and Breakers earned berths into the CIF Southern Section Division 13 playoffs, while Calvary Chapel learns on Sunday whether it made the Division 12 playoffs.
The playoffs will not include Costa Mesa. The Mustangs failed to qualify for the Division 13 playoffs. They missed the postseason for the third straight time.
“We’ve been taking a lot of shots from people … on social media and people that used to be part of the program, and they don’t know what we’re doing, and it’s a [testament] to our coaches, who work harder and harder every single week, and our kids that showed up and worked hard,” said Fisher, who expects the 32 players who suited up Friday to return next year. “I really believe that we’re going to turn this thing around.”
