Consistently leading Mustangs by example

Rick Devereux

Sometimes it’s hard to appreciate something that is consistently

good. No one notices until it turns bad.

And it’s hard to notice someone on a losing football team that

plays consistently well.

Such is the case with Costa Mesa High wide receiver/tight

end/linebacker Jeff Waldron.

Waldron is the model for consistency, having caught a pass in 10

straight games, including the final two games of last year, the

longest current streak of the Newport-Mesa schools.

He has had more prolific games than his five-catch, 107-yard

performance against Ocean View Friday -- he caught seven passes for

155 yards and two touchdowns against Huntington Beach in Week 3 --

but his catches all resulted in first downs to keep scoring drives

alive.

One reason Waldron, who is the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week,

has been overlooked has been the Mustangs’ lackluster record.

Costa Mesa (2-6, 2-2 in the Golden West League) started the season

0-5 following the firing of head coach Dave Perkins six weeks before

the opening game. But the Mustangs have bounced back, winning two of

the last three, and are still in a position to earn an automatic CIF

Southern Section Division VII playoff berth with a third-place finish

or better in the league standings.

The only way Mesa will finish among the top three in league is by

beating its remaining two opponents, Orange and Estancia. And the

only way the Mustangs beat Orange and Estancia is if Waldron

continues to be the focal point of the offense.

“He is one of the best players in the entire county,” Coach Tom

Baldwin said. “He is probably one of our best players on both offense

and defense. He is one of our key blockers on the line and one of the

best receivers around. And he is a great outside linebacker.”

Waldron was the Newport-Mesa Defensive Player of the Year last

fall.

Waldron means more to the Costa Mesa offense than any other

player. His 35 receptions are 67% of the 52 completed passes. His 626

yards are 76% of the 824 total. And his six touchdown receptions are

100% of the aerial scores.

“I guess [quarterback] Ryan French favors me, even though he

probably shouldn’t,” Waldron said. “There are other players on the

team that can make plays.”

Yeah, Waldron is humble, too.

His 35 receptions are the most in the Golden West League, among

the top eight in Orange County and the top 28 of the CIF Southern

Section.

“I like receiving because it’s fun,” Waldron said. “Passing is one

of the more difficult aspects of football, so it’s fun to go out and

do something that’s hard.”

Waldron is the eighth of 12 children. His older brothers excelled

in sports at Costa Mesa, living a difficult legacy to uphold.

“There is kind of a pressure to live up to the Waldron name,” he

said. “I just want to be half of what they were. Luckily, I was

always interested in the sports they played, so I got involved when I

was young.”

Waldron started playing baseball when he was 5 years old,

basketball when he was in the sixth grade and football his freshman

year. He has played all three sports throughout his high school

career.

“It gets pretty tough,” he said. “It seems like as soon as

football season ends, I have one or two days off and then basketball

starts. And it’s the same from basketball to baseball.”

On top of his busy athletic schedule, Waldron has maintained a 4.0

grade point average.

“He is just a super person, regardless of if he’s a good athlete

or not,” Baldwin said. “He is one of the hardest working guys we have

on our team.”

When asked about a player he admires or tries to emulate in the

collegiate or professional ranks, Waldron mentioned Tony Krikorian.

Krikorian is Costa Mesa’s starting cornerback and a junior.

“Even though he’s younger than me, I really like the way he

plays,” Waldron said. “He’s an inspiration because he is such a

feisty player and he plays hurt.”

Waldron is a leader on the Costa Mesa team even though he isn’t

very vocal.

“He is the one guy everyone on this team respects right away

because of what he does on the field,” assistant coach Izzy Isbell

said. “When he talks, everybody listens.”

Waldron has had to be more vocal this year because of the rocky

start.

“Our jobs as seniors is to motivate our team,” Waldron said. “Even

though I’m not really a big talker, I have been, especially since

league started.”

With Waldron’s work ethic as an example, the Mustangs have headed

back toward the right track and still have a chance to make the

playoffs.

“I think if our team keeps practicing hard and showing up with

confidence, we can go far,” Waldron said. “We are a much better team

than our record shows.”