Mesa shocked in second half

Rick Devereux

Heads were hanging low on the Costa Mesa High sideline following the

Mustangs’ 10-9 loss to Laguna Beach Saturday night at Newport Harbor.

“Apparently we’re not a very good football team,” Coach Tom

Baldwin said. “[Laguna Beach] is the worst opponent we’ll have all

year.”

The Breakers (3-1) overcame a 9-0 halftime hole to score twice in

the second half for the win.

Costa Mesa (0-4) received a gift on Laguna’s first offensive play

of the game. Backed up to their own 5-yard line after a brilliant

punt by Ryan Bagwell, the Laguna Beach center snapped the ball over

quarterback Talan Torriero’s head and out of the end zone for a

safety.

Neither team was able to move the ball in the first half, with the

teams combining for eight punts. The Mustangs were, however, able to

convert a Laguna turnover into a touchdown.

On the Breakers’ second series in the second quarter, Costa Mesa

linebacker Randy Fea stripped a Laguna running back and defensive

tackle Robert de la Cruz recovered the loose ball on the 31. On the

next play, quarterback Ryan French lobbed a jump ball to the 5-yard

line, where tight end/wide receiver Jeff Waldron made a fantastic

grab to steal the ball away from the cornerback. Waldron turned after

the catch and easily scored.

“Defensively we played pretty good,” Baldwin said. “We didn’t give

up any big plays like we have in all of our other games.”

The Breakers put together a six-play, 75-yard drive early in the

second half, capped off by Greg Arellano’s 2-yard touchdown run up

the middle to make it 9-7.

At the end of the third quarter, the Mustang defense forced a

fourth-and-one, but the Mesa line jumped offsides to keep the drive

going. On the next play Bryan Brown ran 41 yards to the Costa Mesa 8.

The defense held tough and forced a 23-yard field goal that made it

10-9, Laguna Beach.

The Mustangs were able to get past the 50 only three times in the

second half, with the best field position coming on their first

possession of the third quarter following a Laguna punt that put the

ball at the 35. Bagwell had to punt on five of Mesa’s six second-half

series, and the sixth possession was the last drive where the

Mustangs turned the ball over on downs.

A Laguna Beach player did run into Bagwell on his last punt, but

no penalty was called.

“Our punter got roughed and they didn’t call it,” Baldwin said.

“That was a huge play in the game.”

A roughing the punter penalty is an automatic first down.

But the Mesa offense was unable to move effectively during the

game. Tyler Legg rushed for 83 yards on 18 carries and Jorge Quiroz

finished with 36 rushing yards on 10 carries.

When French dropped back to pass, he was constantly pressured by

Laguna Beach blitzes. The Breakers only use two defensive linemen,

but up to six linebackers. The various formations and blitzing

combinations confused the Mesa offensive line, which allowed four

sacks and numerous pressures. French was getting hit from the

blindside often, and the blocking schemes were not able to adjust to

the multiple blitzers.

“We’re not blocking well at all,” Baldwin said. “We start [Golden

West] League next week, and I don’t know what we’re going to do.”