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An interesting neighbor moved in next to Costa Mesa High last year and left a valuable contribution for the Mustangs.
Think football and silver and black.
Yes, the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders held their training camp in 2024 at Jack Hammett Sports Complex, which is adjacent to Costa Mesa High. The Raiders used the Mustangs’ weight room before donating some equipment to the Newport-Mesa school, Costa Mesa football coach Gary Gonzalez said.
“We have a state-of-the-art lifting facility,” Gonzalez said. “It is absolutely gorgeous, and our district put some money into it to help us out.”
“The Raiders wanted to donate (the equipment) to us,” the coach added.
The Costa Mesa football team, which was already focused on getting stronger under Gonzalez, has capitalized this season.
Last week, the Mustangs defeated reigning Tango League champion Anaheim 37-14 to improve to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in league.
Costa Mesa is off to its best start since opening 8-0 in 1997.
“This is Year 4 for me (as the coach) and we’ve emphasized weight room for four years,” Gonzalez said. “Now, we’re seeing it pay out.”
Costa Mesa enters its league game Friday against visiting Bolsa Grande (4-3, 2-0) averaging 285.3 yards a game on the ground behind breakout running back Gavin Garza.
The junior ranks second in Orange County rushing with 1,197 yards and 19 touchdowns. He is averaging 9.3 yards per carry.
Gonzalez said Garza (5-7, 170) squats about 450 pounds and reminds him of some of the top running backs in Costa Mesa lore.
“He’s hard to take down,” said Gonzalez, an alumnus of Costa Mesa. “We had Binh Tran under (coach) Myron Miller. We had Keola Asuega under (coach) Dave Perkins. Omar Ruiz under Dave Perkins, and Oronde Crenshaw under (coach) Wally Grant. He reminds me of those type of backs.”
Gonzalez and Garza are quick to praise the offensive line for creating running lanes.
The Mustangs’ starting offensive front features seniors Israel Lopez, Jamie Gutierrez, Yosgart Munoz and William Wedgwood, and junior Sebastian Suarez.
Lopez and Munoz are two-way starters.
Lopez, who is 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, is another top performer in the weight room.
“Every time (Garza) gets interviewed, he’s always thanking the line, which is really cool to see,” Gonzalez said.
Costa Mesa’s improved strength has coincided with other important developments.
Senior quarterback Andrew Waiss has surfaced as a top athlete after not playing football his freshman year.
Gonzalez said Waiss (5-11, 180) arrived from the band.
“He’s pretty fearless,” Gonzalez said of Waiss, a three-year starter who has passed for 780 yards and rushed for 615 yards. “He’s typically the best athlete on the field in terms of speed and agility.”
Gonzalez, a history teacher at the school, has stabilized the program on and off the field.
Two of his assistant coaches — defensive coordinator Chris Flores and Hunter MacDonald — also teach at Costa Mesa.
The Mustangs’ rallying cry is “unfinished business.” Last season, they lost to San Gabriel 41-35 in the final seconds in the CIF-SS Division 14 quarterfinals.
They also lost to Anaheim 28-6 in league.
“We dedicated a lot of the offseason to the weight room,” Gonzalez said. “We got better and got stronger, got faster, more committed to the defensive side of the ball. More committed to the offensive side of the ball. Overall, the kids bought into that motto of unfinished business.”
SHORT ROUTES
• Calvary Chapel is 7-0 for the first time school history. The county’s other undefeated teams are Crean Lutheran (7-0), Corona del Mar (7-0), Los Alamitos (7-0), Dana Hills (7-0) and Laguna Beach (7-0). …
• Beckman (4-3, 2-0) took over first place in the Lambda League with a 35-14 win against Sunny Hills last week. “The offense executed really well and the defense played hard and kept a lid on the huge plays the Sunny Hills offense had been generating,” Beckman coach Marcello Giuliano said. …
• Orange Lutheran started freshman Ezrah Brown at quarterback last week in a 48-0 loss against St. John Bosco (7-0), the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. The game marked Brown’s second consecutive start. …
• The St. John Bosco-Santa Margarita game on Friday is a clash for sole possession of first place in the Trinity League. It is the Spectrum Game of the Week and will be played at Trabuco Hills High …
• Santa Margarita wide receiver Trent Mosley has set the school record for career receptions with 183 and counting. …
• Tickets for the Alpha League game between Edison and Los Alamitos at SoFi Stadium on Thursday can be purchased online.
