Mesa goes for 61!

COSTA MESA — Last year when Costa Mesa played La Quinta, quarterback Nathan Alvis had a career game.

He had six touchdowns in the game, four passing and two rushing. The performance was needed to give the Mustangs their first win of 2010.

Costa Mesa is improved in Alvis' senior year. He doesn't have to scramble as much. On the Mustangs' first two offensive plays from scrimmage in Friday night's nonleague game against the Aztecs, all he had to do was hand the ball to senior running back Mario Smith.

Smith scored on two long touchdown runs, setting the tone early as Costa Mesa routed La Quinta, 61-0, at Jim Scott Stadium. It was the Mustangs' most points and largest margin of victory since a 63-0 victory, also over La Quinta, in 1999.

The Mustangs (4-1) approached the program's single-game points record, set in a 65-19 victory over Laguna Beach in 1992. Coach Wally Grant was an assistant on that team coached by Myron Miller.

Now this year's Mustangs, who won their fourth straight game and are off to their best start since 2001, are again keeping scoreboard operators busy.

"I've got a ton of talent," said Grant, whose team finished its nonleague schedule averaging more than 41 points per game. "Between Mario, Nate Alvis, [receivers] Trace Curet and Jordan Walden, [tight ends] Charles Mankin and Jake Comer … I've got weapons. If they take one away, the other ones step up. This is a defensive coordinator's nightmare. If they shut down Mario, I've got an exceptional quarterback, two exceptional receivers and an exceptional tight end. And they're unselfish. They know that there's going to be nights when they're not going to get as many touches as they'd like, but there's going to be nights when they're going to get featured.

"It's just been a fun, fun year so far. They're making plays."

Mesa was clinical in the first half Friday. Smith carried the ball just four times, but for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Alvis completed nine of 10 passes for 102 yards, finding three different receivers — Curet, Walden and Comer — for touchdowns. He also had an interception on defense.

"It's nice to have that double-threat type of offense, where we can run it with Mario or hit me or Jordan on the routes," Curet said. "If Nate keeps hitting his targets, we'll be an unstoppable offense. I've got to give the credit for our run game to our linemen. They've been working hard the last four games."