Quarterback Woes Evident as Costa Mesa Is Beaten

NEWPORT BEACH — Ronnie Lievanos stood in the press box beside Costa Mesa Coach Tom Baldwin Friday night and watched Trabuco Hills High School roll over his grandfather’s team, 35-6, in the Pacific Coast League opener for both teams.

Lievanos said he hopes to play quarterback for “Papa” Baldwin someday, and Baldwin certainly could use a quarterback right now. But Lievanos, 10, is in fourth grade and plays on a Pop Warner team.

So Baldwin must wait a few years. In the meantime, his current quarterback, senior Mike Cutler, was 6 for 19 and threw five interceptions Friday night in his first start.

Meanwhile, Trabuco Hills quarterback Tim Manning completed 9 of 19 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He was also the team’s second-leading rusher, carrying the ball five times for 34 yards.

Costa Mesa was the first team to score, midway through the second quarter, when Cutler threw a wobbly six-yard pass to junior wide receiver David Phillips. But the Mustangs were not heard from again as Trabuco Hills scored on its next two possessions and three more times in the second half.

“Costa Mesa was well-prepared,” Trabuco Hills Coach Jim Barnett said. “They showed us some early things we hadn’t seen in game films.”