Football: Costa Mesa denied third in league

Third place in the Orange Coast League was on the line when Costa Mesa High and Calvary Chapel met Thursday. The winner earned a trip to the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs.

Both schools haven’t enjoyed much success in the postseason, the Mustangs going 17 years without a playoff win and the Eagles’ drought has been 14 years.

Calvary Chapel will get a chance to end their playoff skid next week. The Eagles are going to be able to because they made history, beating Costa Mesa for the first time in a football game.

The Eagles walloped the Mustangs, 40-0, at Jim Scott Stadium, securing the league’s No. 3 guaranteed postseason berth. Calvary Chapel has qualified for the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2000-01.

The Mustangs’ 11-0 all-time record against Calvary Chapel went down at a bad time, most likely ending their season. Their shot at receiving one of the Southern Division’s two at-large entries is bleak. The Mustangs finished the regular season 2-8 overall, their two wins coming in league play. The Orange Coast League isn’t one of the top leagues in the Southern Division, only Estancia is ranked in its top-10 poll.

The field where third place in league was settled will also be the site where either Estancia or Saddleback will be crowned league champion on Friday. Estancia and Saddleback enter the matchup with 4-0 records in league.

The previous team to close out league undefeated was Costa Mesa last year. The Mustangs ruined their chances of repeating when they dropped three of their final four league contests.

At the end of the regular season, Costa Mesa, which finished 2-3 in league, looked beat up.

“We didn’t have any bodies left,” Costa Mesa Coach Wally Grant said. “We were lucky to field a team. It is what it is, and we got to get ready for next year.

“It’s football. It’s what happens. Some years no one gets hurt, everything is rolling your way, and some years nothing goes your way. This is one of those years.”

Injuries ravaged the Mustangs. They lost their starting quarterback, Sammy Swanson, to a season-ending knee injury in the second league game against rival Estancia. Two weeks later, Swanson’s replacement, Eric Carrasco, suffered a concussion.

Grant said Carrasco didn’t play in the league finale because he didn’t pass his concussion test, and he wouldn’t have been available next week had Costa Mesa beat Calvary Chapel. Costa Mesa decided to go with its do-it-all junior, Cameron Curet, at quarterback. He lined up in shotgun, and Calvary Chapel was prepared for him and the Wildcat offense.

Costa Mesa kept running Curet, and it used Mason Mataafa at quarterback as well. Much of it didn’t work in the first half. The Eagles only allowed the Mustangs to pick up two first downs in the first 24 minutes. Curet, who rushed 33 times for 113 yards, was the one who moved the chains each time, once on a third-down run and then on a fourth-down run from the Mustangs’ 20-yard line.

Both drives stalled, and penalties played a role. Eleven times in the first half Costa Mesa was flagged. The penalties totaled 90 yards, 29 more yards than the Mustangs’ offense in the first half.

By the time halftime rolled around, with Calvary Chapel (5-5, 3-2 in league) ahead, 26-0, it was over for the Mustangs. They were on their way to their first 2-8 finish in nine years.

“We just got outplayed,” Grant said, “but we’re playing with our third- and fourth-string quarterback, and that’s just how it is.”

The Mustangs’ backup signal callers only completed one of six passes for eight yards. Calvary Chapel quarterback Patrick Glasgow averaged almost twice that amount per completion, finishing 19 of 26 for 290 yards and two touchdowns.

Glasgow’s touchdowns went to wide receiver Joey Cox, one for 19 yards and another for 13 yards. Cox wound up with seven receptions for 119 yards.

The only mistake Glasgow made was the pass Costa Mesa defensive back Jamil Douglas picked off in the fourth quarter. It didn’t make a difference, and the Eagles recorded their first shutout of the year. Calvary Chapel took over on downs a couple of minutes later, and tailback Braeden Stack ripped a 44-yard touchdown, giving him three touchdowns and 101 yards on the ground.

“Nobody in our league is getting in [the playoffs, except us, Estancia and Saddleback],” Calvary Chapel Coach Chris Cox said.

“That makes me happy.”

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Calvary Chapel 40, Costa Mesa 0

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Costa Mesa 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 0

Calvary 7 – 19 – 0 – 14 — 40

FIRST QUARTER

CC – Stack 2 run (Serrato kick), 10:07.

SECOND QUARTER

CC – Debernarde 2 run (kick failed), 10:09.

CC – Cox 19 pass from Glasgow (pass failed), 6:14.

CC – Stack 1 run (Serrato kick), :52.

FOURTH QUARTER

CC – Cox 13 pass from Glasgow (Serrato kick), 7:36.

CC – Stack 44 run (Serrato kick), 1:20.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

CM – Curet, 33-113.

CC – Stack, 16-101, 3 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

CM – Curet, 1-5-0, 8.

CC – Glasgow, 19-26-1, 290, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

CM – Snipes, 1-8.

CC – Cox, 7-119, 2 TDs.