Laguna Hills Steps Past Costa Mesa

MISSION VIEJO — The losing coach said the teams would meet again in the playoffs. The winning quarterback intimated that the result would be the same.

After seventh-ranked Laguna Hills’ 22-0 victory Thursday over ninth-ranked Costa Mesa, it would be hard not to fall in line behind Tommy Banning.

Banning completed eight of 16 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns against Costa Mesa, which had given up only 30 points all season.

“They were just thinking they were a better team than they actually were,” said Banning, a senior quarterback. “They hadn’t played a tough team and tonight they did and we beat them.”

Laguna Hills (8-1, 4-0 in league) clinched a share of its fifth consecutive league title.

Though Laguna Hills entered the game ranked higher in Orange County, Costa Mesa (8-1, 3-1) came in ranked higher in the Southern Section’s Division V poll, which has a direct bearing on the way teams will be seeded in the playoffs in two weeks. Laguna Hills is ranked fifth, Costa Mesa third.

Costa Mesa was trying to go through the regular season undefeated for the first time in its 38 varsity seasons.

In an attempt to accomplish the feat, the Mustangs defense loaded up against the run and Banning made them pay--sometimes. He had two passes dropped, including one that would have been a sure touchdown.

But he completed a 21-yard scoring pass to Ryan Johnson on the Hawks’ fourth play shortly after Jeff Fischer’s 16-yard punt return to the Costa Mesa 37-yard line.

And on the first play of he fourth quarter, Banning put the game away with a 52-yard heave to Fischer, who caught the ball on his fingertips.

In between--in the second quarter--Laguna Hills running back Michael Jones broke an 80-yard scoring run when he dashed though the left side of the line as Costa Mesa’s stunting defense guessed wrong. Jones rushed 23 times for 151 yards.

“You can’t stop Jones with a seven-man front,” said Costa Mesa Coach Jerry Howell, whose team often had eight or nine players lined up. “They have a good quarterback and some good receivers and a couple of times, they beat us.”

However, Laguna Hills was hardly spectacular. The Hawks committed 11 penalties for 122 yards.

If Laguna Hills was looking to make a statement, like Banning said it was, it was the defense that punctuated it. Led by linebacker Anthony Daye (one interception) and defensive back Dustin Mang, the Hawks recorded their second consecutive shutout and limited Steve Herzog--the county’s 10th-leading rusher--to 103 yards in 19 carries.

Laguna Hills outgained Costa Mesa, 375-187.

“Defensively, we played with some intensity and enthusiasm,” Laguna Hills Coach Steve Bresnahan said. “Offensively, we missed some opportunities in the first half.

“Our defense is getting better every week. These are senior guys who have to make plays. We’re going to play bigger games than this.”