Costa Mesa hampers itself against Saddleback

Bryce Alderton

The Costa Mesa High football team can look at itself as a team that

moved the ball on offense and limited host Saddleback on defense in

the Golden West League contest Friday night at the Santa Ana Bowl.

But the Mustangs can also glance in the mirror and see a team that

was its own worst enemy.

The Mustangs committed 18 penalties for 130 yards, as well as four

turnovers, helping aid the Roadrunners’ 27-14 victory in front of 400

spectators.

Junior tailback Tyler Legg, fresh off his 184-yard performance in

Mesa’s first victory against Santa Ana Oct. 8, continued to sparkle,

compiling 139 yards and one touchdown on 26 rushing attempts. The

Mustangs (1-6, 1-2 in league) amassed 239 rushing yards compared to

88 for Saddleback (4-2, 2-1).

Legg’s performance, along with the efforts of Mesa’s defensive

front, however, were overshadowed by the costly miscues.

“[The Roadrunners] didn’t stop us all night,” Mesa Coach Tom

Baldwin said. “We stopped ourselves with all the penalties.”

Saddleback’s Edwin Pena set up Saddleback’s final touchdown when

he returned an interception 24 yards to the Mesa 27-yard line with

just more than two minutes remaining.

The Mustangs, though, were hit with two personal-foul penalties

after the run, giving the Roadrunners a first down on the Mesa 7.

Senior tailback Joaquin Rivas lunged off left guard on the next

play for the second of his two touchdowns. Jerry Resendiz booted the

extra point for the 27-14 lead.

Mesa started its final possession on its own 35-yard line with

2:01 remaining, but a fumble by a ballcarrier on the first play from

scrimmage gave the ball back to the Roadrunners, who ran out the

clock.

The Mustangs got within 20-14 with 5:06 left in the game when

quarterback Ryan French connected with standout tight end Jeff

Waldron for an 18-yard TD strike on fourth-and-16. French scrambled

out of the pocket and found Waldron, who dragged a defender into the

end zone.

It was Waldron’s only catch.

Mesa forced Saddleback to punt on their ensuing possession, before

Pena’s aforementioned interception.

The Roadrunners needed only two plays after the first of their

three fumble recoveries to take a 7-0 lead midway through the first

period. Senior tight end Hilario Camacho leaped between two defenders

to grab a pass from quarterback Josh Flores for a 21-yard TD. Flores

finished 9 of 14 for 114 yards and one interception, courtesy of

Waldron.

The Mustangs answered on their ensuing possession, marching 73

yards in 12 plays to even the game on Legg’s 3-yard TD run and Ryan

Bagwell’s conversion kick. Legg carried 10 times for 67 yards on the

drive.

The score remained, 7-7, in the third quarter when Mesa took

control at its own 26 following Juan Diaz’s fumble recovery. Mesa had

a first down at the Saddleback 24 following a 22-yard jaunt down the

sideline by Jorge Quiroz. But two straight procedure penalties -- the

Mustangs were flagged four times for 20 yards in the drive -- sent

Mesa back 10 yards and it eventually led to a turnover on downs.