Two-minute drill

Costa Mesa High senior linebacker Jeff Dye had already come close to blocking kicks in the Mustangs’ previous football games.

But he didn’t just come close in Friday night’s 35-6 nonleague victory over Century at Estancia High. He blocked an extra-point attempt in the first quarter, preserving what was at the time a 7-6 Mesa lead.

Then, early in the second quarter, Dye blocked a 26-yard field-goal try that would have given the Centurions the lead.

Dye and senior cornerback John Galvin brought the pressure all night. Dye almost got the trifecta, also narrowly missing blocking a punt.

“I told him, ‘Jeff, you’re going to get one tonight,’ ” Costa Mesa Coach Jeremy Osso said. “ ‘You’re coming close and you’re letting up. Don’t let up tonight and you’ll get one.’ And, he got two. He’s very athletic, and we have him in those spots for a reason. It was one of those things where I told him, ‘You’ve got to get it done tonight,’ and he did.”

• Connor Gaughan, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound junior and one of Sage Hill School’s top receivers, will be out for a minimum of three to four weeks with a fractured right clavicle, Lightning Coach Derek McIntyre said.

Gaughan has been Sage Hill’s big-play receiver, averaging just more than 20 yards on his nine receptions (184 yards) through four games. Gaughan sustained the injury during the Lightning’s first offensive series, on the sixth play of the game. He hauled in a 20-yard reception that was nullified because of an illegal chop-block penalty in the backfield. Gaughn continued to play through Sage Hill’s second offensive series, just after the Lightning scored their first and only touchdown with 5:51 left in the first quarter.

While Gaughan played with the injury, he helped set up the Lightning touchdown. He drew a pass-interference penalty that gave Sage Hill first-and-10 at the Army-Navy 12. On the ensuing play, sophomore quarterback Randall Mycorn connected with junior receiver Dusty Orrantia for the touchdown.

• The Mustangs victory ended a 14-game losing streak to teams outside the Orange Coast League.

That streak began after Costa Mesa defeated Cerritos, 16-7, on Oct. 20, 2006.

• Newport Harbor completed its nonleague schedule at 4-1 after winning at Mira Costa, 42-14, Friday night.

The Sailors open Sunset League play Friday at Orange Coast College against No. 6-ranked Edison, which is coming off a bye.

“They’re a team that’s picked to win the league and all that,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said of the defending league co-champion Chargers. “They’ve got a lot of weapons. We’ve got to figure out a way to slow them down.”

Newport Harbor hasn’t been able to contain Edison since joining the Sunset League in 2006.

The Sailors lost, 47-0, at Davidson Field last season. The season before, they fell, 37-6, in Huntington Beach.

“They’ve been a really tough team for us,” Newport Harbor senior all-purpose threat JB Green said. “We’re going to come out stronger.”

Newport Harbor will have to because the Chargers have played some stout teams during their nonleague schedule.

Edison beat Mater Dei, 24-14, at OCC on Oct. 3. The week before, the Chargers lost to Servite, 29-17, at Cerritos College. Mater Dei (3-2) is ranked No. 10 in the Pac-5 Division poll and Servite (3-2) is No. 9.

The Chargers’ season-opening 43-10 victory came against Lahainaluna (3-1) in Hawaii on Aug. 23.

The one opponent the two schools share this season is Dana Hills. Edison blew out the Dolphins, 48-20, on Sept. 19. Newport Harbor held on to beat the Dolphins, 25-24, to avoid getting upset on Oct. 3.

• Corona del Mar High Coach Jason Hitchens senior Dillon Norton has produced much of his return yards, including two touchdowns on kickoff returns and one on a punt return this season, without the assistance of blockers.

The senior receiver-cornerback illustrated this on the second of his three punt returns in the Sea Kings’ 17-5 nonleague win over Villa Park Friday at Newport Harbor High.

With a charging defender virtually on top of him as he fielded the ball, Norton executed a spin move that left the would-be tackler confused and grasping at air.

Norton produced 37 yards on his three returns but a penalty on one those wiped out an additional 49 yards.

• Sage Hill is hoping to have 6-2, 160-pound junior Andy Multari, one of the team’s top defensive backs, for its nonleague game at La Jolla Country Day Friday. Multari injured one of his ribs during Thursday’s practice in what McIntyre called, “a freak play.” He sustained the injury during a kickoff return simulation.

“A player just hit him in a certain spot that popped his rib out,” McIntyre said. “But it looks like he could be back in the middle of [this week]. We’re thinking he might be able to play [Friday].”

• Estancia senior tailback Carlos Mendez surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark for the sixth time this season with 151 yards on 21 carries. He would have topped the 200-yard mark but a 73-yard scamper midway through the second quarter was negated by an illegal block.

The 151 yards were his top total since he rushed for 236 in a Sept. 12 win over Bolsa Grande.

“Carlos did a great job of running hard once again,”Bargas said. “He gives it his all out there.”

• Andrew McDonald’s play at quarterback for Newport Harbor has improved.

The senior passed for 196 yards and three touchdowns against Mira Costa (2-3). The reason for posting season highs in both categories?

His improved health.

“He had the flu there for a little bit,” Brinkley said of McDonald, who has thrown for 723 yards and seven touchdowns with just three interceptions. “It just kind of wore him out.”

McDonald said the Mira Costa game, in which he completed 10 of 15 passes, was his best this season.

• Hitchens, who was Villa Park’s defensive coordinator last season, exchanged hugs with several Spartans players and had an extended postgame conversation with Villa Park Co-Coach Pat Mohoney as both wished each other luck the rest of the season.

CdM’s season will be shaped by its Pacific Coast League-opening clash at Laguna Hills Friday.

CdM (4-1) is ranked No. 4 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division, while the defending league champion Hawks (5-0) are ranked No. 1.

• Former Major League pitcher Chuck Finley escorted his daughter, sophomore princess Winter, during Corona del Mar’s halftime homecoming festivities Friday.

• Costa Mesa had to call a timeout near the end of the game, but it wasn’t because a big play was looming.

Osso said it was because the punt team forgot to run on the field on fourth down.

“They were too busy getting excited [about the win],” Osso said, laughing. “I guess I can’t blame them for being happy.”

• Costa Mesa senior Shelby Herbel was named homecoming queen at halftime.

Herbel, who runs track, was crowned by last year’s queen Sam Strodel. Strodel was a soccer standout for the Mustangs.

• One Estanica highlight was a defensive stand against Ocean View.

On first-and-goal at the Estancia three-yard line, the Eagles stopped a pair of runs. An incomplete pass and two penalties then forced Ocean View to kick a field goal.

— From staff reports