Mustangs still progressing

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COSTA MESA — Costa Mesa High senior John Salyer stood on the sideline after the game, his helmet still on and frustrated.

It was hard to take another loss for the team captain, the Mustangs’ starting free safety, after Costa Mesa’s 28-18 setback to Katella Friday night at Orange Coast College.

But Coach Jeremy Osso came up to Salyer, reminding him that the nonleague game was just that — nonleague.

“I told him, ‘Hey, it doesn’t matter what the record is; you still have a shot at playoffs,’ ” Osso said. “That’s the thing these guys can’t lose focus of. We have to keep getting better and better.”

“Better” was just the right word to describe the Mustangs’ offense against the Knights. On its first drive of the game, Costa Mesa (0-6) drove the ball 63 yards down the field to get on the board.

The drive, which took just more than six minutes, culminated when Cody De La Mater leaped into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the one. But the point-after attempt was blocked, which was a sign of frustration to come.

The Mustangs couldn’t convert point-after attempts on each of their three touchdowns, and also had both a field goal and punt blocked.

“You have to come away with points,” Osso said. “If we get every PAT plus the field goal, then we’re down, 28-24.”

Costa Mesa would keep the lead for much of the first half, until the Knights (2-3) came up with their own drive just before halftime. P.J. Papalii took a pitch to the left, broke two tackles and was gone on a 16-yard score.

Katella then used the third quarter to take control, scoring on two of its first three possessions of the quarter.

On the second score, Knights quarterback Vince Peraza found Papalii behind the Mustangs secondary for a 62-yard strike, just a play after a Costa Mesa interception. The touchdown made it 21-6, Katella, late in the third quarter.

“The opposing team makes one good [play] and we start getting our heads down again, getting our old mentality back,” De La Mater said. “We just don’t execute ... We know that we can win, but it’s just a little bit too late sometimes.”

Mesa came back early in the fourth when De La Mater scored his second touchdown, a 40-yard run on an inside handoff. He said he couldn’t have done it without left guard Travis Whitlock, left tackle Steven Guzowski and center Juan Garces.

“I went for my hole, the linemen just blew it up and I just ran for it,” De La Mater said. “The linemen did a great job blocking, and Robbie [Gemayel] did a great fake. The defense didn’t know what hit them. It’s a whole team effort.”

But Katella added a critical score on its next possession, with a 13-yard play-action touchdown pass to Anthuan Lara on third-and-goal.

Mesa quarterback Brian Waldron found Luis Gomez on an eight-yard score with 4:15 left in the game, making the score 28-18. But the Mustangs couldn’t get any closer, although the 18 points nearly doubles Mesa’s total (22) in its first five games.

Gemayel and De La Mater combined for 158 rushing yards.

“That’s a testament to our improving offensive line, too,” Osso said. “When you can put together some drives, throw the ball and gain yards off of it, it’s nice. We’re getting there.”

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].

FIRST QUARTER

CM – De La Mater 1 run (kick failed), 2:18.

SECOND QUARTER

KAT – Papalii 16 run (kick failed), 0:53.

THIRD QUARTER

KAT – Purcha 35 pass from Peraza (Papalii pass from Peraza), 8:54.

KAT – Papalii 62 pass from Peraza (Blanke kick), 1:56.

FOURTH QUARTER

CM – De La Mater 40 run (kick failed), 11:54.

KAT – Lara 13 pass from Peraza (Bastida kick), 7:59.

CM – L. Gomez 8 pass from Waldron (pass failed), 4:15.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

KAT – McCall, 15-127; Papalii, 3-28, 1 TD; Lara, 1-14; Peraza, 4-minus-3.

CM – Gemayel, 13-85; De La Mater, 12-73, 2 TDs; Salyer, 3-18; Waldron, 4-3.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

KAT – Peraza, 9-18-0, 178, 3 TDs; Judd, 4-7-0, 36.

CM – Waldron, 11-21-1, 92, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

KAT – Papalii, 5-124, 1 TD; Purcha, 2-51, 1 TD; Lara, 5-31, 1 TD; McCall, 1-8.

CM – Erno, 3-27; Gemayel, 2-27; L. Gomez, 3-24, 1 TD; Hernandez, 2-18; Salyer, 1-minus-4.