Costa Mesa Gets Kicks Late in Victory

MISSION VIEJO — Costa Mesa’s Bryan Luxembourger has kicked hundreds of field goals in his high school career. He did it in practice. He did it in games.

But never under the kind of pressure he had Friday night.

Luxembourger kicked a 26-yard field goal with 37 seconds left and added a game-winning 28-yarder with 17 seconds remaining as Costa Mesa rallied for a 39-36 victory over Laguna Hills in a Pacific Coast League game at Mission Viejo.

“I was nervous before the first one,” said Luxembourger, who had missed two extra-point kicks earlier in the game. “But I knew that all I had to do was get that ball between those two poles. After that, the second one was just instinct.”

The victory kept Costa Mesa (4-2-1, 2-0 in league) in a first-place tie with Trabuco Hills and set up a showdown next week between the two teams. It also ended the Mustangs’ four-year losing streak against the Hawks (4-3, 0-2).

“This is the greatest win of my career,” said Coach Myron Miller, a 25-year veteran in his second season with the Costa Mesa. “I’ve never won a game like that before. Finally, Costa Mesa made a play.

“I don’t think they’ve ever had a win this big. Maybe in 1978, when they won the league title.”

Costa Mesa overcame a 36-25 deficit in the final 9:55. Jeff Niebling’s 10-yard touchdown run with 4:21 left made it 36-33, setting the stage for Luxembourger’s last-second heroics.

His first field goal capped a 30-yard drive that followed a 25-yard punt return to the Laguna Hills 40 by Charles Chatman. Costa Mesa faced a fourth down and six at the Laguna Hills 10, but Miller never hesitated in turning to Luxembourger and going for the tie.

“It was fourth down and less than a minute to play,” Miller said. “I didn’t have a 10-yard play.

“Bryan is a good kicker. He just had a slump earlier in the game.”

Luxembourger’s second field goal was set up by teammate Cory Sides’ 22-yard interception return. Sides picked off a pass by Justin Vedder on the right sideline and raced to the Laguna Hills 11. Luxembourger kicked the winning field goal, and Costa Mesa stopped Laguna Hills on two desperation plays to end the game.

Miller’s decision to go for the first field goal might have hinged on the departure of star tailback Binh Tran, who left the game on the next-to-last drive with sore ribs. Tran, who rushed for 317 yards against Laguna Beach last week, finished with 114 in 28 carries against Laguna Hills.

“They keyed on Binh,” Miller said. “And we changed our offense to take advantage of that.”

Miller turned to two other running backs in the second half--Chatman (15 carries, 85 yards) and DeWayne Crenshaw (85 yards in eight carries).

Crenshaw had a 66-yard yard touchdown run early in the third quarter as Costa Mesa struggled to keep pace in a wild 35-point quarter.

Laguna Hills tailback Fred Kim scored on runs of 72 and 33 yards in the quarter as the Hawks outscored the Mustangs, 22-13. Kim, who had only 15 yards in four carries in the first half, finished with 135 yards and three touchdowns in 11 carries.