Football: Costa Mesa’s Fisher likes what he sees

Anyone who was at the Costa Mesa High football field Friday night could squint a little bit, and it might seem like the high school football season was here already.

The Mustangs competed on the field as their home announcer during the season, Mike Decker, called the action. Cheerleaders were in attendance, as well as a handful of alumni like Trace Curet, Oronde Crenshaw and Edgar Molina.

The man in charge might not have been as familiar to some, but he introduced himself without a microphone. That was all right to Glen Fisher.

“I’m a coach, so I have a loud voice,” said Fisher, before explaining the agenda for the evening to assembled parents and community members.

Fisher was hired in February after two years as head football coach at Beckman. On Friday night he oversaw his first spring football scrimmage, the Green vs. Black game.

The offense and defense each went through seven-on-seven drills, as the linemen competed with an obstacle course. Then, the Mustangs played an intrasquad scrimmage, with five-minute quarters. It ended with the Black team, featuring many of Mesa’s top varsity players, outscoring the Green team, 36-6.

To Fisher, it was the conclusion of a successful spring season. He looks forward to the challenges ahead, like the 16-team Bellflower passing tournament on June 27, which features teams like Trabuco Hills and Santa Margarita.

“It’s been really a lot more than even I expected,” he said. “These kids, they’ve worked so hard ... you always go into a situation like this hoping, but this has exceeded our expectations, so it’s been really nice. We’re doing a lot of different stuff than they’re used to, so it’s taking a lot of work. It’s the culture changes that we’re making, the way we work in the weight room. We expect a lot out of them in everything they do. We want them to learn in the classroom, we want them to be good in the community, we want them to be on time, we want them to be accountable with each other. They’re doing a great job.”

On the field, Fisher saw players who he expects to be key performers in the fall make plays. The Black team went up by two touchdowns in the first quarter, first as junior-to-be Eric Carrasco hooked up with senior-to-be Cameron Curet on an 80-yard touchdown bomb over the middle. When the Black team got the ball back, it was sophomore-to-be Ben Swanson finding incoming junior Christian Villaverde on a 70-yard touchdown strike.

Fisher said that Carrasco and Swanson have a healthy competition going at quarterback, that they’re competing with each other and not against each other. It was Carrasco who stepped in after last year’s starter for most of the year, Ben’s older brother and incoming senior Sammy Swanson, suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee against rival Estancia.

“We try our best every single day and try to get better together,” Carrasco said of the competition with Ben Swanson for the starting signal-caller spot. “No matter how big the competition is, we still love each other in the end too ... It’s really different [learning a new offense], but I’m just trying to do the best I can and be there for my team. Whatever change happens, I’ll be there for my team no matter what.”

Sammy Swanson, who did not participate in the scrimmage, is expected to play running back and linebacker this year for Costa Mesa. Fisher said that the elder Swanson is done with his rehabilitation and is expected to be fully cleared next week.

Fisher took over for Wally Grant, who resigned last December after four years in charge. Another key carry-over from Grant’s time at his alma mater is Cameron Curet, who is a two-time first-team All-Orange Coast League selection as a running back, receiver and linebacker for Mesa.

“He’s one of our dudes, that’s for sure,” Fisher said. “Cameron is definitely one of our dudes in every way, as far as a leader in the team room, in the weight room, everywhere. He’s a terrific athlete and a great student. He does everything right, and we’re thrilled to have him. He’s going to do a lot of stuff for us on both sides of the ball. I would imagine he’ll be one of the better players in this league, having been around a while and being used to this [Southern Division when I coached at Beckman]. He’ll be one of the better players certainly in our league, and most likely in our division.”

Curet intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown just before halftime of Friday’s scrimmage, for a 28-0 lead. After another interception by Eddie Vargas, Carrasco found Josh Snipes for the fifth and final touchdown for the Black squad, before the Green squad got on the board in the fourth quarter on a pick-six by Jose Blanco.

The night concluded with a barbecue dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs. Curet finished his meal quickly before heading up to the locker room.

He said he’s excited about being a senior leader for the Mustangs, who finished 2-8 last season and 2-3 in the Orange Coast League, and that the new coaching staff has made a difference.

“It’s changed the mindset of the teammates,” Curet said. “Before, it was kind of like football was the second option, people could put it down for hanging out with other friends and stuff. But now it’s a priority, so everyone’s on the same boat now. I would just say it’s overall working.”