FOOTBALL:

Costa Mesa High football coach Jeremy Osso cruises the Internet, and he’s no stranger to the Daily Pilot website and the criticism that has been tossed his way on the site’s comments section.

But Osso, now in his second year coach for the Mustangs, said he’s not feeling the heat just yet, even though the Mustangs’ last loss to Santiago means the football team is now 0-5.

“There’s not a harsher critic on me than me,” Osso said. “There’s nothing being written on those blogs that I haven’t said about myself already. Including the ones about me being overweight.”

After the third loss, Osso was comparing himself to Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis, whose Fighting Irish (0-4) were looking as limp as the Mustangs.

“I’m not overly concerned right now,” Osso said. “We’re better than what people think.”

Still, the frustration in his voice was palpable.

Like Dana Hills, another winless team, Osso said that the Mustangs have been playing stronger opponents.

“The combined record of our first five teams is 16-5,” he said. “It’s not like we’re playing slouches right now. The only way you get better is by playing someone tougher than you to know where you need to get to.”

Osso thinks, with starters returning from injuries, that the team should be ready by the time Orange Coast League play begins Oct. 26 at Laguna Beach.

It was Costa Mesa athletic director Tim Postiff who pointed out the debate over Mustang football to Osso, and the two had a good laugh about it, Osso said.

“They’ve been very supportive and they understand it’s going to take us awhile,” Osso said.

Even though it’s only been a little more than a year since Osso took over, it just feels longer. But, like regime changes in foreign countries, new heads of state don’t mean immediate improvement. It doesn’t matter what caliber of players are in a football program.

Too many coaches in too many years makes for a culture of losses.

Only time will tell if Osso can direct the sort of turnaround that will bring Costa Mesa back with a higher number in the winners’ column than the losing one.

They may be cross-town rivals, but Estancia coach Mike Bargas offered some words of encouragement for Osso:

“I’m sure he’s like us, and he’s searching to hang in there,” Bargas said. “I feel bad fro him because I know those kids work just as hard as Estancia, or Corona del Mar, or Newport Harbor. It just takes time, you’ve just got to keep the kids focused and believing. Just hang in there. Things will turn around.”

Osso isn’t the only coach that’s taken some heat this year.

Bargas, now 2-3 in his first year as head coach, has been accused of scheduling “pop warner” teams to boost the school’s record.

The only problem is that Bargas didn’t have any authority over this season’s schedule. It was arranged by former coach Brian Barnes, who left Estancia to become head coach at Tesoro.

“I didn’t get my choice in the schedule, and if I had my choice, I might have changed it,” Bargas said. “Right now, it’s what I walked in to.

“We’ve lost to some teams that have struggled too. A loss to a good team or a bad team is a loss just the same. After the season, we’ll analyze and look at teams, and make changes if need be. I don’t have a choice over who I play this year. You’re locked into contracts minimally for two years.”

Bargas was more upset because he felt the charge was disrespectful to his athletes, particularly since they have no say in what comprises the schedule.

Still, Bargas’ emotions tend to rise and fall with each win or loss.

“You are what you coach,” he said. “Everything that I’ve learned, I’ve learned at clinics and from [Newport Harbor coach] Jeff Brinkley. If a practice goes bad, it’s the coach’s fault because he’s the one who drives the tempo.”

Like Osso, Bargas has taken charge of a program that’s been a revolving door for coaches, with the missive that he has no plans to leave for the foreseeable future. But the relationship he has with football is bounces between love and hate.

“You love to do it, but it’s also not that fun giving up your nights and your weekends for 10 opportunities,” Bargas said. “I’ve been there for the good years at Newport, but I was there for some of the bad years too. You take it all in stride.”

Now, Bargas is focused on Ocean View (3-1), a game that would lend some credibility to the schedule if the Eagles could win it. “It will help us a bit if we can beat these guys,” Bargas said. “I told the kids, ‘If we win league, everybody forgets about those losses we had. Everybody loves you.’”

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at [email protected].