Mesa plans to build before league play

With a new coach and in a new league, Costa Mesa High is approaching its nonleague schedule differently.

More so than competing in the four-team, Orange Coast League, Costa Mesa is relying on how it fares in tournaments as a barometer of how successful it will be come postseason.

“We’re going to play better teams than we’re going to be playing in league,” said forward Larry Puente of participating in tournaments. “When it comes to these little [league] teams, we can pretty much run out the gate and take it to them.”

The Mustangs are already off and running.

In their first tournament, the Mustangs won the La Quinta High Tournament in Westminster on Dec. 2. Puente, a 6-foot-4 senior, played an integral part with his all-around game.

The all-tournament MVP averaged 22.2 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocks per game. The key is getting teammates involved, something they weren’t last year because they didn’t receive a lot of minutes. Only Puente returns from last year, when Costa Mesa, under then coach Ryan Schachter, won its second league title in 46 years.

Schachter left for Corona del Mar, and Jeff McDaniel is now running the show. Costa Mesa is still running an up-tempo style, playing to its team strengths, speed, small size and Puente.

“The biggest thing is he just lets the game come to him,” said McDaniel of his tallest player, who helped Costa Mesa finish 17-10 a year ago. “He didn’t force anything. He used his players and everyone else had decent numbers, too, which is what’s going to make us successful.”

Costa Mesa’s benefited because of the contributions, starting 4-0 until dropping the first game at the North Orange County Championships Monday. But Mesa bounced back with a 60-25 win over Boys Republic of Chino Hills Tuesday.

The guard-oriented Mustangs aren’t as flashy, with Scott Knox and Brian Molina graduating and now playing at Cal East Bay and Orange Coast College, respectively. But there’s talent and grit this year.

Hao Nguyen, Moses Titus, Tommy Duong start as guards, and 6-3 Philip Weber and Puente provide size. All are seniors.

The guards have received many wide-open looks so far because of Puente’s inside game. Titus, like the rest of the 5-10 players, is enjoying it.

“We just stay out in the threes,” said Titus, who made 13 three-pointers at the La Quinta Tournament. “He’s a team player. Some guys just want to score, but he doesn’t want to score all the time.”

Taking over as the go-to-guy, Puente’s doubled his points per game from last year, when he averaged 11, and almost his rebounds per game, which were seven.

Come league play Costa Mesa might not have to depend on Puente as much. Other than the always-tough games against rival Estancia, the Mustangs figure to cruise against Laguna Hills and Calvary Chapel, both were below .500 last year.

Puente aims to take the Mustangs deeper into the playoffs, where they were ousted in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division III-A by El Segundo.

“We’re not trying to peak now,” McDaniel said. “We’re trying to peak in January and February.”