Ruiz’s return provides lift for Mustangs

DP Football Player of Week Feature on Ivan RuizSenior running back battles back from torn ACL to lead Costa Mesa to consecutive league victories.Ivan Ruiz speaks like he runs with the football -- in quick bursts with frequent changes of direction.

But when it came to his vision for his final season at Costa Mesa High, the energetic 5-foot-6, 155-pound senior plotted a simple, straight and strenuous path.

It was a directional dream from which, he vowed, he would not be deterred. But then, as his friends innocently chided him, he “busted a Boobie Miles” before the games even started.

Like the blue-chip senior running back immortalized in the best-selling book and movie “Friday Night Lights,” Ruiz sustained a knee injury that doctors said would sideline him for the season.

“I got hurt the week before our first game,” Ruiz said. “Our trainer knew it was a torn ACL, then a doctor said the same thing. He told me I was out for the season and I’m not going to lie, I shed some tears. I had worked so hard in the offseason, it was something I didn’t want to hear.”

But the doctor, sensing Ruiz’s anguish, mentioned that some players had been able to play with the injury.

It was a glimmer of hope, like the smallest of holes. Ruiz set about working to burst through, back into the daylight of his dreams.

“I decided my dream didn’t have to end because of a torn ACL,” Ruiz said. “I still wanted to be a big part of the team. I made it my goal to come back to the team.”

Ruiz began running circles around his neighborhood to maintain his endurance, and quickly returned to his devoted workouts in the weight room and running up hills near campus.

Ruiz’s determination impressed Costa Mesa Coach Jay Johnson, but not enough to reward his increasing pleas for playing time.

Ruiz missed the first four games before being cleared to play less than a day before the Mustangs’ Golden West League opener against cross-town rival Estancia.

The original plan was for Ruiz to only return punts. But his mobility and his mouth eventually prompted Johnson to insert him at tailback.

“I was standing behind coach every play, saying ‘Please, let me in,’” Ruiz said.

Ruiz has taken his opportunity and, well, run with it. Now playing wingback in the double wing scheme the Mustangs have used during their two-game winning streak, he carried the ball 30 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns in Friday’s 24-0 league victory over Ocean View.

Ruiz has 545 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season. He also has the respect and admiration of those who doubted him.

“It was hard,” Ruiz said of his month on the sideline. “There were people who said I was done and didn’t believe in me. But I kept working and I kept that in my mind. I had to prove those people were wrong.”

Johnson continues to be impressed.

“His success has come from all his hard work,” Johnson said. “It has meant a lot to his teammates to have him back playing. He has been a spark plug for us.”

IVAN RUIZ

Born: Oct. 31, 1987

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 5-foot-6

Weight: 155

Sport: Football

Positions: Wingback

Coach: Jay Johnson

Favorite food: Italian

Favorite movie: “Friday Night Lights”

Favorite athletic moment: “My first game this season when I came back to play against Estancia [Sept. 30, after missing the first four games with a torn knee ligament]. I scored a touchdown.”

Week in review: He accumulated 135 rushing yards on 30 carries, including touchdown runs of 6 and 4 yards to help the Mustangs earn a 24-0 Golden West League victory over Ocean View on Friday at Orange Coast College.

Daily Pilot

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