Noki Lam
Online Editor
Last friday, Costa secured a 24-20 win against Damien High School, the #17 ranked team in California. The game marked the team’s entry into a series of away games against some of the top ranked teams in the state.
The Spartans started the game with an early score to put the match’s first points on the board. The Mustangs came into the second quarter down 7-0, but would soon respond in the next quarter.
“When [junior linebacker] Jackie [Reach] recovered a fumble, it really shifted the momentum,” junior defensive back Barrett Ryan said. “We knew we had gotten into their heads.”
The Mustangs capitalized off of the fumble and responded with two touchdowns, including a rushing touchdown by sophomore running back AJ McBean. According to McBean, he had to adjust to the increased pace of the game when playing more skilled competition. McBean says that the team needed a quarter to settle down and play their game.
“It was definitely a lot different for us to be playing the 17th best team in the state,” McBean said. “I had to adjust the way I played my normal game, but having to face teams like Damien pushes us to be at our best.”
Sophomore quarterback Liam Meeker stood out in a stellar performance with two passing touchdowns on 185 yards. Meeker went 16 for 25 and avoided throwing any interceptions to give the Mustangs the offensive firepower they needed to contend with Damian.
“I knew I could trust the guys up front to give me the time I needed to perform,” Meeker said. “I also had trust in my defense to hold us down on the other end.”
The Mustang defense came through with a clutch performance in the fourth quarter after a third quarter that saw both teams score a touchdown and a field goal. The defense held Damian to 6 points and allowed the offense’s 10 points in the 4th quarter to seal the win.
“Our defense is a brotherhood,” Ryan said. “We have a really strong bond and we knew we would be able to get the job done.”
The Mustangs will travel to San Juan Hills today. San Juan Hills has a historically prestigious program and reached the semifinals of the CIF D3 playoffs last season, compared to Costa’s D6 finals campaign. However, San Juan Hills enters the game with a 3-1 record and a #43 state ranking compared to Costa’s #24.
“I have a lot of confidence in what we can do,” Meeker said. “This team has a strong bond that comes from countless hours of work together in practice and in the weight room.”
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