Battle for the Bell tolls Friday

The early season struggles of football teams from Costa Mesa High and

Estancia have mirrored one another.

So, as the two crosstown and Golden West League rivals prepare to

collide Friday at 7 p.m. at Orange Coast College, the only mirror

either is interested in is the one that reflects a rear view.

“Somebody has got to win,” Estancia Coach Brian Barnes said of the

39th edition of the Battle for the Bell.

Costa Mesa, which has seen its top two quarterbacks and a

returning all-league tailback go down with injuries, enters the

league opener 0-4. The Mustangs have lost six straight, including an

18-13 setback to Estancia in the regular-season finale last fall.

Estancia, coming off a bye week, is 0-3. The Eagles’ struggles

include minus-22 net yards rushing this season.

“[The Eagles] have been going through the same pains we have,”

Costa Mesa Coach Jay Johnson said. “This is going to be a good one to

see who can get out of the cellar.”

Both coaches, each in their first season at their respective

schools, believe the combination of the rivalry game and the opening

of league play provide their players a welcome clean slate.

“This almost starts a new season,” Barnes said. “We’ve had our

preseason and now we’re going to the real season. The 0-3 is wiped

out and our goal still is to win the league championship.”

The Mustangs’ fortunes would be bolstered by the possible return

of senior quarterback Ryan French, who suffered a shoulder separation

in the season opener.

French has missed the last three games, prompting former receiver

Tony Krikorian, a senior, to assume the quarterbacking role in

Johnson’s spread offense.

Johnson said French will visit the doctor today in hopes of being

cleared to play. Either way, Johnson said, French will not start.

But Krikorian, who leads the Mustangs in rushing and passing yards

(116 and 77, respectively) and has run for two touchdowns and thrown

for another, is out indefinitely with a high-ankle sprain sustained

in Friday’s 31-9 loss at Laguna Beach.

Junior Cody Waldron is expected to start at quarterback and

Johnson said he will employ a two-back spread with just three

receivers, a change from the four-receiver sets he has used.

The quarterback position has been the strength of the Estancia

offense, as senior Ryan Watson and his favorite target, junior

receiver Matt Redding, have been consistently productive.

Watson has thrown for 362 yards and two TDs, completing 30 of 54

with only one interception.

Redding has 11 receptions for 199 yards and one TD.

“[Watson] is the horse who has been carrying their cart,” Johnson

said. “And we’re going to have to put our best guys on Redding. We

want to try to shut those two down and try to make them run the

football.”

Barnes said he and his staff have continued to work on the running

game, in hopes of generating some productivity.

“The biggest thing for us, like always, will be blocking up

front,” Barnes said. “We’ve changed a few things and we’ll have a few

new wrinkles.”

Estancia is averaging just 6.7 points per game, while Mesa is

averaging 7.5.

The Mustangs are surrendering nearly 34 points per contest, to

Estancia’s 22 per game.

Costa Mesa enters minus-six in turnover ratio, while Estancia is

plus-three.

Estancia leads the series, 21-16-1.

ESTANCIA STARTERS

*--*

OFFENSE

No. Player Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

8 Ryan Watson 6-0 185 Sr. QB

2 Edgar Vargas 5-7 160 Jr. TB

88 Matt Redding 6-2 185 Jr. WR

83 Alex LaGrand 6-4 180 Sr. WR

10 Tim Morley 6-2 180 Jr. SR

11 Nick Engelke 6-0 180 Sr. SR

60 Walter Echanique 6-0 255 Sr. LT

77 Jesse Herrera 5-9 225 Sr. LG

50 Nelson Leon 6-2 210 Sr. C

54 Sean Ulrich 6-2 225 So. RG

71 C. McKendry 6-5 240 So. RT

*--*

*--*

DEFENSE

No. Player Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

56 Travis Todd 6-3 240 Sr. DE

52 Miguel Cotero 6-2 225 Sr. NG

60 Walter Echanique 6-0 255 Sr. DT

40 Danny Orozco 5-10 195 Jr. DE 7 Kyle Bannon 5-9 180 Sr. LB

50 Nelson Leon 6-2 210 Sr. LB

10 Tim Morley 6-2 180 Jr. LB

89 Riley Hart 6-0 160 Jr. CB

16 Josh Henrikson 5-11 170 Sr. CB 83 Alex LaGrand 6-4 180 Sr. SS

88 Matt Redding 6-2 185 Jr. FS

*--*

*--*

OFFENSE

No. Player Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

7 Cody Waldron 6-1 175 Jr. QB 40 Cody De La Mater 5-9 192 So. RB

33 Richard Huk 5-7 185 Sr. RB

28 Josh Lowe 6-1 170 Jr. WR 3 Kirkland Huynh 5-7 151 Jr. SR

24 Mitch Caldwell 6-1 175 Sr. SR 64 Ryan Segovia 6-0 270 Sr. LT

55 London Sapolu 6-1 225 Jr. LG 61 R. Soomalelogi 5-11 240 Sr. C

67 Robert De La Cruz 5-10 255 Sr. RG 74 Juan Diaz 6-1 300 Sr. RT *--*

COSTA MESA STARTERS

*--*

DEFENSE

No. Player Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

61 R. Soomalelogi 5-11 240 Sr. DE 74 Juan Diaz 6-1 300 Sr. DT 63 Rudy Hernandez 5-10 240 Jr. DT 84 Giovanni Porcayo 5-10 213 Sr. DE 40 Cody De La Mater 5-9 192 So. LB

67 Robert De La Cruz 5-10 255 Sr. LB 55 London Sapolu 6-1 225 Jr. LB 24 Mitch Caldwell 6-1 175 Sr. CB 28 Josh Lowe 6-1 170 Jr. CB 7 Cody Waldron 6-1 175 Jr. SS 30 Jon Morris 5-8 145 Sr. FS

*--*

Mustangs-Eagles

1966 -- Estancia 14, Costa Mesa 13

1967 -- Estancia 0, Costa Mesa 0

1968 -- Costa Mesa 21, Estancia 20

1969 -- Costa Mesa 31, Estancia 7

1970 -- Estancia 18, Costa Mesa 16

1971 -- Estancia 14, Costa Mesa 7 1972 -- Estancia 32, Costa Mesa 20

1973 -- Costa Mesa 23, Estancia 2

1974 -- Costa Mesa 21, Estancia 14

1975 -- Estancia 6, Costa Mesa 0

1976 -- No game

1977 -- Estancia 21, Costa Mesa 0

1978 -- Costa Mesa 27, Estancia 13

1979 -- Estancia 23, Costa Mesa 12

1980 -- Estancia 35, Costa Mesa 15

1981 -- Estancia 21, Costa Mesa 7

1982 -- Estancia 22, Costa Mesa 17

1983 -- Estancia 30, Costa Mesa 21

1984 -- Estancia 14, Costa Mesa 0 1985 -- Estancia 40, Costa Mesa 7

1986 -- Costa Mesa 26, Estancia 6

1987 -- Costa Mesa 31, Estancia 8

1988 -- Estancia 23, Costa Mesa 13

1989 -- Estancia 31, Costa Mesa 0

1990 -- Costa Mesa 26, Estancia 3

1991 -- Estancia 10, Costa Mesa 7 1992 -- Estancia 31, Costa Mesa 22 1993 -- Costa Mesa 35, Estancia 7

1994 -- Costa Mesa 55, Estancia 12

1995 -- Estancia 42, Costa Mesa 18

1996 -- Costa Mesa 17, Estancia 0

1997 -- Costa Mesa 29, Estancia 13

1998 -- Costa Mesa 52, Estancia 0

1999 -- Estancia 34, Costa Mesa 14

2000 -- Estancia 34, Costa Mesa 27

2001 -- Costa Mesa 21, Estancia 6

2002 -- Costa Mesa 41, Estancia 0

2003 -- Costa Mesa 11, Estancia 0

2004 -- Estancia 18, Costa Mesa 13

(Estancia leads series, 21-16-1)