Advertisement

Football: Curet is all heart for Mesa

Share

Rarely does Cameron Curet take a play off in a Costa Mesa High football game.

He runs the ball, catches the ball, kicks the ball, punts the ball, returns the ball, intercepts the ball, deflects the ball, and tackles whoever has the ball.

There aren’t many players in Orange County who handle as many duties on the field as Curet. He’s a starting wingback on offense, a starting outside linebacker on defense, and the starting kicker, punter and kickoff returner on special teams.

By the way, Curet is also the backup quarterback. If the team needs him, the junior can throw the ball, too.

Advertisement

Curet is able to perform at a high level despite being born with a congenital heart defect. The condition has left Curet with an irregular heartbeat, but it hasn’t stopped Curet from playing and living a normal life.

An eight-inch scar running up the left side of Curet’s back reminds him of how far he has come. At 14-days-old, Laurel Curet said her son underwent heart surgery because his aorta was twisted and crimped, not allowing blood to flow to his body. He had a hole in his heart, and doctors told Laurel and her son’s father, Luis, their son probably couldn’t have played any sports if this had gone undetected.

“[I was supposed to] take it easy on life,” Cameron Curet said. “I never really did.

“Doctors said [my irregular heartbeat] should affect me, but it doesn’t. Like [my] endurance, it shouldn’t really be that high.”

Not much slows Curet down. He’s always running around, doing whatever he can to keep the Mustangs in contention to repeat as Orange Coast League champions.

Behind Curet’s all-around performance last week, Costa Mesa won for only the second time this year, both victories coming in league. The Mustangs’ 24-0 shutout of Godinez at Segerstrom High sets up a key game at Jim Scott Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m.

Costa Mesa plays host to Saddleback, which shares first place in league with Estancia at 3-0. The Mustangs, who are 2-1 in league, are one game back of the league leaders. Curet kept his team within striking distance with two league contests left, producing in all facets against Godinez.

On offense, Curet finished with five catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed 15 times for 48 yards. Defensively, he intercepted two passes and returned them for a combined 63 yards, made five tackles, and he came up with a fumble, yanking the ball away from the receiver. On special teams, he converted a 20-yard field goal and three extra-point kicks, and he pinned the Grizzlies near their 10-yard line twice on punts.

“He gives me that kind of effort every Friday night, and then we’re going to be successful more often than not,” said Costa Mesa Coach Wally Grant, who hopes Curet can improve one part of his game. “[His field-goal kicking] has been a work in progress all year.”

The only problems for Curet against Godinez were two missed field-goal attempts, from 30 and 27 yards, in the second quarter. Exhaustion has factored into Curet’s accuracy, as has having an inexperienced long snapper and holder.

A lot has changed since Curet’s sophomore year, when he was what he called a “stick” at 5-foot-4 and 125 pounds. The only thing he struck during games was the ball with his right foot.

“I really didn’t even watch that many football games [last year] because I was kicking the whole entire time [on the sideline],” Curet said. “Once we got past like the 50, I was just kicking into the net. But ever since [I began] starting both ways [this year], I’m never practicing. I’m, like, getting nervous going into each kick when I shouldn’t be. I don’t know why I am. I’m always tired as well.”

Fatigue caught up to Curet late in the third quarter.

While Curet burned Godinez on both sides of the ball, the Grizzles saw him go down right after he picked off his second pass. Cramps forced Curet to go down.

“It felt like I was paralyzed from the waist down,” Curet said. “My quads were cramping and my calves. It was probably the worst cramps I’ve ever had.”

What did Curet do? He rose back up, and five plays later, he carried the ball early in the fourth quarter.

A couple of minutes passed, and while playing defense, Curet almost intercepted his third pass. Looking back, Curet said he should have finished with four interceptions.

The first pick by Curet came on the Mustangs’ seven late in the opening quarter. He raced to the left, toward the Costa Mesa sideline, where the quarterback tackled Curet, stopping him on the Grizzlies’ 34. The return went for 59 yards.

“I should’ve taken it to the house,” said Curet, who also missed catching his second touchdown pass early in the second half.

The Mustangs took over on the opponent’s 33 after Curet stripped the ball away from the receiver trying to gain more yards. Curet earned his chance to play receiver, and Eric Carrasco, making his first varsity start at quarterback, went to his favorite target on the night.

In the second quarter, Carrasco and Curet connected on a 34-yard touchdown pass. The two appeared to hook up for a second score when Carrasco hit Curet for a pass, which looked to go for a 30-yard touchdown, but Curet fumbled at the one.

“That’s debatable whether I was down or across the [goal] line,” Curet said with a smile, believing when he grows a couple of inches and adds 20 pounds in the offseason, not many will be able cause him to fumble. “If I’m 5-11, 175 going into the season next year, [I’m] going to be a lot better.”

Curet has shown he’s a special talent right now, in football and in school, where he holds a 4.0 grade-point average. Just like in football, he doesn’t take any days off in the classroom either.

Cameron Curet

Born: May 14, 1998

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 5-foot-9

Weight: 155 pounds

Sport: Football

Year: Junior

Coach: Wally Grant

Favorite food: Steak

Favorite movie: “The Shawshank Redemption”

Favorite athletic moment: “Against Laguna [Beach], on a reverse, I took it down [the sideline], and I broke like four tackles and I jumped for the pylon. I hit the pylon, but I stepped out at the two [and gained about 25 yards].”

Week in review: Curet caught five passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, rushed 15 times for 48 yards, intercepted two passes, made five tackles, forced a fumble, and kicked a 20-yard field goal in the Mustangs’ 24-0 win against Godinez.

Advertisement