Costa Mesa football low in numbers
“Depth” is not typically a word to associate with the Costa Mesa High football team.
Glen Fisher, who coached at Beckman the past two seasons, is in his first year in charge of the Mustangs. He said he’d like to have 60 players in the program.
Mesa falls short this season, Fisher said, with 42.
“We’re so limited in numbers, we’re not even going to play JV games the first five preseason games,” Fisher said. “We just don’t have the numbers for it. We can’t send guys to JV games that are a play away from being in the varsity game.”
Costa Mesa also is the only Newport-Mesa school without a scrimmage game. An upside to that could mean no opportunity for serious injuries that the Mustangs can’t afford to deal with.
Yet, with a new coach, low numbers and no opportunity for a scrimmage, there is a hint of mystery for Costa Mesa headed into the regular-season opener, Friday night against Northwood at Irvine High.
The result of the season opener hasn’t been a mystery for Costa Mesa, which has lost 13 straight openers dating back to 2001, including a 34-6 setback to Northwood last year. And Fisher knows that Northwood is talented, as the Timberwolves beat Fisher’s Patriots each of the last two years in Pacific Coast League play.
“I don’t think Northwood’s playing a scrimmage either,” Fisher said. “Knowing Coach [Dean] Toohey, he probably thinks we are their scrimmage.”
But whatever the Mustangs lack in numbers, they make up in experience, with senior leaders at nearly every position. Those seniors are eager to improve upon a 2-8 showing last season, their worst since going 2-9 in 2007. The Mustangs started the year 0-5 before going 2-3 in the Orange Coast League. They failed to defend their league title and missed the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs.
The crucial loss in league was a 21-14 setback to Saddleback, one of two overtime losses for Mesa a year ago. Cameron Curet, a two-time All-Orange Coast League player slated to play receiver, linebacker and kicker this year, remembers it well, how a fumbled snap on fourth down in overtime sealed the Mustangs’ fate.
The botched play hurt the Mustangs, who went on to get blown out by Calvary Chapel, 40-0, in what became a must-win game in Week 10.
“They were going to do a toss to me and I was going to throw it,” Curet said. “But we never worked on scenario-type stuff. This year, I feel like we’ll be able to perform well in crunch time.”
The Mustangs plan to pass the ball more this season. Curet and fellow senior Josh Snipes, both returners at receiver, will be reliable targets for sophomore quarterback Ben Swanson. The Mustangs want to make the spread offense a priority after only passing the ball a handful of times each game last season.
“It has made a difference,” Snipes said of the senior leadership. “A lot of young guys last year didn’t step up, but this year, I’ve seen myself and a handful of other seniors step up. It definitely makes a big difference, because we have more passion for the game and it just really shows.”
Roman Ayala is a junior, but also lends experience as a two-way starter on the line. He returns at defensive end and is also left tackle on offense, after playing fullback a year ago.
“I feel like our whole line is getting better every day,” Ayala said. “We’re working hard. At first it was a struggle, you know, new coaches and trying to get used to everything. But every day we get better and better. Leadership starts to show up more and more.”
Fisher, who was hired in February after Wally Grant resigned, hopes that is the case. He’s the defensive coordinator while his nephew, Cody, is the offensive coordinator. They also worked together at Beckman, which went 4-6 in each of Glen Fisher’s two seasons in charge, and 1-4 in the Pacific Coast League each season.
Costa Mesa’s nonleague schedule is challenging. The first four opponents — Northwood (7-4 in 2014), Santiago (8-4), Katella (7-4) and Los Amigos (7-5) — all made the postseason last year. Los Amigos and Katella were ranked Nos. 8 and 10, respectively, in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division preseason poll released Wednesday.
Glen Fisher might not have the depth, but he does have patience with his players.
“They’re trying to learn a lot of new systems,” he said. “Everything we’re doing is new. They’re putting in the time, they’re working hard. What we lack in overall numbers, we make up for [because] the guys that we have here are guys that want to be here. They want to contribute and do the right thing.”
Twitter: @mjszabo*
Costa Mesa Mustangs
League: Orange Coast
CIF Division: Southern
Coach: Glen Fisher (first year)
Staff: Glen Fisher (defensive coordinato), Cody Fisher (offensive coordinator/offensive line/strength and conditioning), Brandon Greathouse (defensive line), Gary Gonzales (receivers/defensive backs), Tavis Ve’e (running backs), Marcos Diaz (quarterbacks).
2014 record: 2-8, 2-3 in Orange Coast League (fourth place)
Offensive scheme: Multiple, including spread
Defensive scheme: 3-4, 4-4
Returning offensive starters: Four
Returning defensive starters: Four
Returning with honors: RB/WR/LB/K Cameron Curet, LB Sammy Swanson
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SCHEDULE
August
28 – vs. Northwood at Irvine
September
4 – vs. Santiago at Garden Grove
10 – Katella
18 – vs. Los Amigos at Bolsa Grande
26 – vs. Savanna at Glover Stadium
October
9 – at Laguna Beach*
16 – Estancia*
23 – Godinez*
29 – vs. Saddleback* at Santa Ana Valley
November
6 – Calvary Chapel*
*denotes league game
All home games at Jim Scott Stadium
All games 7 p.m.
