Two-Minute Drill: Mustangs show off new uniforms
Hours before producing a surprise on the football field, members of the Costa Mesa High football team were surprised in the locker room at Irvine High.
They were presented with new Nike uniforms in white and green, in the style similar to Oregon. The new threads were arranged on the locker room floor as the players walked on.
The football boosters worked all summer to raise money for the surprise uniforms, said Katrina Foley, mother of sophomore quarterback Ben Swanson and senior Sammy Swanson.
“Coach [Glen Fisher] wanted them to be rewarded for all of their hard work this summer in the weight room and on the field,” Foley wrote in a text message. “Lots of a sacrifices. He wanted a fresh start too. Boys were ecstatic.”
The Mustangs also earned the fresh start on the field, posting an upset 15-10 victory over Northwood for their first season-opening win since 2001.
— Matt Szabo
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•Dan O’Shea was unable to lead Corona del Mar High on the field as its new head coach on Friday. He witnessed something more special that day.
O’Shea and his wife, Elizabeth, welcomed Jack Peter O’Shea to the world at 4:42 p.m., 2 hours and 18 minutes before CdM kicked off the season against Palos Verdes.
O’Shea said his first child was born eight pounds and 20 inches long. Without O’Shea, CdM went on to win, 21-7, at Jim Scott Stadium, extending its season-opening winning streak to 15 games.
Kevin Hettig, CdM’s offensive coordinator and one of O’Shea’s closest friends, handled the head-coaching duties against Palos Verdes, the defending CIF Southern Section Western Division champion. Next week, Hettig will return to calling the offensive plays for CdM, ranked No. 5 in the Southwest Division preseason poll, as O’Shea said he plans to return for CdM’s game at Dana Hills (0-1).
— David Carrillo Peñaloza
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•Sage Hill has one special player, as in No. 1 Jacob Copeland.
The junior transfer from Texas provided most of the highlights for the Lightning. He caught a 71-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Caden Sheetz, and returned a kickoff 52 yards and a punt 31 yards, accomplishing all of that in a span of less than six minutes in the second quarter.
Copeland, whose other catch went for a negative yard, briefly left the game 3½ minutes into the second half. One of Copeland’s shoulders appeared to bother him after taking a shot while trying to catch a pass over the middle of the field. Copeland, the nephew of Sage Hill first-year coach Abram Booty, later returned.
— David Carrillo Peñaloza
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•Costa Mesa promised to pass the ball more this season, and it did so with Ben Swanson, who ended up completing 13 of 19 passes for 100 yards and an interception.
Last year, Costa Mesa had just 305 total passing yards in its 10 games.
Swanson’s favorite targets Friday night were Josh Snipes and Cameron Curet, who had five and four catches, respectively, for 43 yards each.
Curet made a crucial grab in the fourth quarter. On third-and-10 at the Costa Mesa 33-yard line, Swanson scrambled in the pocket before floating a high pass to Curet. But Curet athletically leaped to tip the ball in the air, before catching it before it hit the ground.
The play went for 10 yards, just enough for a first down with 6:52 left in the game. Five plays later, the Mustangs got the eventual game-winning touchdown on Jonathan Brucales’ 29-yard touchdown run, his second touchdown of the night.
The Mustangs’ offensive line of Roman Ayala, Sammy Swanson, Andrew Garcia, Ray Welsher and Helper Kisino also did well to protect Ben Swanson, who was hurried several times but never sacked.
— Matt Szabo
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•Quarterback Chase Garbers did spread the ball around for CdM, doing so at an impressive 79.1% clip. The junior completed passes to six players, half of which had at least eight receptions.
Peter Bush led everyone with 11 catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns, while Reece Perez hauled in 10 balls for 56 yards and Dylan Tucker had eight receptions for 36 yards.
“Our receiver crew is great,” said Garbers, who completed 34 of 43 passes for 278 yards, all three stats are career highs for him. “We got seven guys that could all play. It’s going to be hard sharing the rock with all of them.”
— David Carrillo Peñaloza
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•Costa Mesa proved opportunistic, taking advantage of five Northwood turnovers.
But the play was sloppy from both schools. Neither team had a scrimmage before the season opener, and it showed.
Northwood committed 13 penalties for 125 yards, while Costa Mesa had 11 penalties for 95 yards. They contributed to the time of the game, which lasted three hours despite the relatively low scoring totals.
“It wasn’t clean, that’s for sure,” Fisher said. “It wasn’t clean for either one of us, and that’s what happens in a first game. You know, everything we’re doing is new, and I guess we have to focus a little more on the little stuff at practice. We’ll look at the film and we’ll fix that.”
— Matt Szabo
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•Sage Hill started the season playing Calvary Chapel for the fourth straight time and it suffered another setback to the Eagles.
Calvary Chapel routed the Lightning, 40-7, at Jim Scott Stadium on Thursday. The Eagles, ranked No. 6 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division poll, have won their last four openers against Sage Hill by an average of 25.5 points per game.
The good news for Sage Hill is that it has bounced back from season-opening losses twice in the past three years, each time knocking off Fairmont Prep (0-1), which travels to Sage Hill next week.
— David Carrillo Peñaloza
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•The Sea Kings are using Jim Scott Stadium as their home field five times this year, and even the scoreboard operator needed special training before and during CdM’s opener.
Derek Smith, who operates the scoreboard during Estancia home games, helped Paul Orris learn how to run the scoreboard. Orris, who used to be the boys’ basketball coach and athletic director at CdM, as well as a teacher at the school, was certain about one thing before CdM and Palos Verdes played.
“The Sea Kings will win this one,” Orris quipped, knowing both schools use the Sea Kings as their mascot.
— David Carrillo Peñaloza
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•Sage Hill gave up big play after big play against Calvary Chapel, and it kept turning the ball over.
Calvary Chapel passed for an 80-yard touchdown, returned an interception 57 yards, rushed for a 50-yard touchdown, and completed passes of 42 and 38 yards.
Sage Hill turned the ball over on downs three times, lost two fumbles, and threw an interception. Before the first half expired, Sage Hill had a 38-yard field-goal try blocked.
Sage Hill did win the penalty battle. Calvary Chapel committed a dozen penalties for 110 yards, compared to Sage Hill’s four penalties for 25 yards.
— David Carrillo Peñaloza