Brawl Overshadows Costa Mesa’s Victory Over Laguna Beach

NEWPORT BEACH — Four players were ejected after a bench-clearing brawl disrupted the Costa Mesa-Laguna Beach football game Friday night at Newport Harbor High School. Costa Mesa won the Pacific Coast League game, 38-0.

The fight broke out with Costa Mesa leading, 24-0, with 10 minutes 26 seconds left in the third quarter. A scuffle between two players evolved into a melee between coaches, players, officials, a few fans and a chain-crew worker.

After a 10-minute delay, referees ejected Mike Roberts from Laguna Beach and Mike Cota, Adam Hernandez and Don Hill from Costa Mesa. Hernandez and Hill said they were ejected because they hit a referee.

Sophomore running backs Mike Pawinski and Binh Tran accounted for 321 yards in rushing to lead Costa Mesa (3-5, 1-2) to its first victory in five games. Tran had 212 yards and a touchdown in 18 carries; Pawinski had three touchdowns and 109 yards in 19 carries.

Laguna Beach (2-6, 0-3) had trouble getting on track without starting quarterback Trigg Garner, who was hospitalized earlier in the day with a blood clot in his left (throwing) shoulder. Jason Abraham completed six of 21 passes for 65 yards. He had three passes intercepted. Keith Peery rushed for 101 yards in 20 carries for Laguna Beach.