Costa Mesa Bounces Back to Beat University

Even after trouncing its opponent a week later, Costa Mesa High still couldn’t get its mind off losing to Estancia last week.

“This was a big turnaround for us,” Costa Mesa Coach Jerry Howell said, following his team’s 45-21 Pacific Coast League victory over visiting University Friday at Newport Harbor High.

The Mustangs (5-2, 1-1 in league) set the tone on the game’s first play, a 67-yard kickoff return by C.J. Zuniga.

Costa Mesa, which was stunned by Estancia in the league opener last week, got itself back in the Southern Section playoff hunt with a convincing victory over the Trojans (2-5, 0-1).

Zuniga had 251 yards and five touchdowns in 29 carries, and quarterback Dave Weir scrambled for 52 yards, and, in the first half, completed nine of 13 passes for 97 yards with no interceptions. Weir’s only pass of the second half, however, was picked off by University’s Seung Han in the fourth quarter.

After Zuniga’s opening kickoff return, Costa Mesa scored two plays later on Zuniga’s first of five scores.

University, however, responded by driving 72 yards on its ensuing series, capped by a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Pat Josten to Benjamin Messelbeck.

In a seven-play series, sparked by Weir’s 19-yard run to the University 15, the Mustangs scored on Zuniga’s touchdown run to go ahead for good, 14-7.