Costa Mesa Keeps Running, Pounds Saints

NEWPORT BEACH — Costa Mesa rushed its point, actually 63 of them, across to Santa Ana in a 63-20 victory in a nonleague football game Thursday at Newport Harbor High School.

The Mustangs (4-1) ran for 493 yards and had 532 yards in total offense in the final game before Pacific Coast League play starts next week.

Charles Chatman, Orange County’s leading rusher, had another standout night. He ran for 254 yards in 15 carries (16.9 yards per carry) and scored three touchdowns. He scored on a 45-yard touchdown run on his first carry. He also scored on runs of 29 and 32 yards.

Chatman, working behind an offensive line that moved Santa Ana off the ball on most plays, has 1,100 yards in 115 carries at the halfway point of the season.

DeWayne Crenshaw added 132 yards in 21 carries for Costa Mesa, the fifth-ranked team in Division VIII.

Crenshaw scored on a 20-yard touchdown run with 8 minutes 7 seconds left in the first quarter to put Costa Mesa ahead 14-0. It was the Mustangs’ second touchdown in 34 seconds.

Ryan Taylor, Costa Mesa’s quarterback, scored on runs of six and two yards and Pat McBride, normally an offensive lineman, moved into the backfield to score twice as well. His runs were six and seven yards.

Although overmatched, Santa Ana (0-5) showed life with its passing game. Quarterback Brian Schwalm threw for 185 yards and three touchdowns. He completed touchdown passes of 76 and 45 yards to Carlos Rodriguez. Schwalm also threw a three-yard scoring pass to Omar Gomez in the closing seconds.