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Football: Miscues hurt Mesa

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A couple of unfortunate things happened to the Costa Mesa High football team on Halloween night.

Call it two tricks, and one treat.

For the second time this year, the Mustangs lost an overtime game Friday night at Jim Scott Stadium. They also lost any shot of earning a share of their second straight Orange Coast League title.

In terms of earning a CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoff berth, however, Costa Mesa still controls its own destiny, even after a 21-14 overtime setback to Saddleback.

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Two big games are set up for next week at Jim Scott Stadium in the regular season finale. Costa Mesa (2-7, 2-2 in league) will play Calvary Chapel (4-5, 2-2) on Thursday with the league’s third and final guaranteed playoff berth on the line. A day later, Estancia (7-2, 4-0) will play upstart Saddleback (6-3, 4-0) for the outright league title.

“We’ve still got to win and we’re in,” said Costa Mesa Coach Wally Grant, trying to lead his team to the playoffs for the third time in his four-year tenure.

To do it, his team most likely can’t put the ball on the ground as much. The Mustangs fumbled five times Friday night, losing two of them. They also had a costly turnover on downs in the fourth quarter.

“That’s the story of the game,” Grant said. “We were moving the ball, we were dominating the line of scrimmage and we just kept turning it over.”

Still, Costa Mesa never trailed until overtime. The Mustangs took a 14-7 lead in the fourth quarter on Darmonta Davis’ two-yard touchdown run. But Saddleback answered back just three plays later, as senior quarterback Johnny Rojas hit senior receiver Emilio Garcia for a 63-yard touchdown pass.

The Mustangs twice drove into Saddleback territory on their next two drives, but the drives stalled. Saddleback got the ball back on its own nine-yard line with 1:01 to go, and quickly worked the ball up the field. In seven plays, the Roadrunners got all the way to the Mustangs’ 12-yard line.

Saddleback Coach Rob Thompson called his final timeout of regulation with three seconds left, then Grant called his final timeout to ice the kicker. A potential 30-yard game-winning field goal attempt came up short, landing near the back of the end zone.

But the Roadrunners capitalized on their first possession in overtime. On his first carry of the game, senior fullback Chris Rios scored on a five-yard touchdown run. Kicker Emanuel Oropeza converted the extra point, giving the visitors a 21-14 lead.

“It was amazing,” said Rios, a linebacker and team captain who is more used to making plays on defense as Saddleback’s leader in tackles. “We had our ups and downs, but overall we just put everything together and just worked as a unit. It’s just so hard to have the pressure on you. But when you have a good team blocking for you, you have your fullback and your line blocking for you, it’s just an amazing feeling knowing that everybody worked together to contribute to something.”

Costa Mesa got the ball at the Saddleback 25-yard line, needing to match the touchdown. The Mustangs were fortunate, as a fumbled pass reception was alertly recovered by Cameron Curet at the Saddleback 13-yard line. After a run for no gain and a four-yard scamper by Michael Dias, the Mustangs had third-and-six from the Saddleback nine.

An ill-timed false start penalty made that third-and-11. Mesa was forced to pass, but Saddleback senior linebacker Juan Medina sacked quarterback Eric Carrasco for a six-yard loss.

Carrasco was banged up on the play. Grant called timeout, and he was forced to go to a backup quarterback on fourth-and-17. The snap was fumbled, sealing the Mustangs’ fate.

Curet continued his strong play for the Mustangs, rushing 31 times for 184 yards, including a two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He also caught three passes, as did Mason Mataafa.

But it is Saddleback, which had just one Orange Coast League win in the previous four years, which is now in the league title conversation.

“It feels amazing, knowing that you worked all your high school years to contribute to something so big,” Rios said. “It’s just an amazing feeling.”

Saddleback 21, Costa Mesa 14 (OT)

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Saddleback 0 – 7 – 0 – 7 – 7 — 21

Costa Mesa 0 – 7 – 0 – 7 – 0 — 14

SECOND QUARTER

CM – Curet 2 run (Curet kick), 9:33.

S – Rojas 1 run (Oropeza kick), 2:21.

FOURTH QUARTER

CM – Davis 2 run (Curet kick), 9:47.

S – Garcia 63 pass from Rojas (Oropeza kick), 8:48.

OVERTIME

S – Rios 5 run (Oropeza kick).

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

S – Leon, 18-107.

CM – Curet, 31-184, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

S – Rojas, 10-21-0, 188, 1 TD.

CM – Carrasco, 6-10-0, 60.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

S – Garcia, 3-91, 1 TD; Salcido, 7-82.

CM – Curet, 3-34.

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