Prep football: Hammertime!

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - History doesn’t wear a helmet at Newport Harbor

High, but it resides in the Sailors’ huddle nonetheless.

So, when Coach Jeff Brinkley’s fourth-seeded Tars took the field as

10-point underdogs against top-seeded La Mirada in Saturday’s CIF

Southern Section Division VI football semifinal, their increasingly

storied penchant for knocking off No. 1-ranked teams went with them.

This quiet confidence, combined with relentless preparation and a

willingness to, as Brinkley said “leave it all on the field,” produced a

35-16 upset victory that will take its place among the 70-year-old

program’s classic wins.

“It was beautiful,” said Brinkley, who brushed off thoughts of

Friday’s championship-game rematch with Irvine, wishing to savor

Saturday’s dismantling of the previously unbeaten Matadores.

“This is one of the biggest wins in my (15 seasons) here.”

The triumph propeled the Sailors (11-2) into their fifth title game in

nine seasons, their third against Irvine. Harbor defeated the Vaqueros,

19-18, to claim last year’s Division VI crown. Irvine (13-0), which

trounced Newport, 30-8, in the 1992 Division V title clash, earned a

19-14 Sea View League win over the Sailors this season, Oct. 13 at

Irvine.

Friday’s 7 p.m. clash will be at Orange Coast College.

“I’ll probably start thinking about Irvine on my drive home (Saturday

night),” Brinkley said.

And though Sailor players’ thoughts likely began drifting toward

Irvine some time Sunday afternoon, most of the overflow crowd of 5,300

will likely remember the thoroughly impressive toppling of La Mirada for

years to come.

Senior tailback Chris Manderino, junior quarterback Morgan Craig and

junior receiver Brian Gaeta helped the hosts pile up 502 yards of

offense.

Manderino’s 271 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries gives

him 2,068 yards and 31 TDs for the season. He becomes the third Sailor to

surpass the 2,000-yard plateau in a single season and his touchdowns

break the Newport-Mesa District single-season record set in 1997 by

Newport’s Brett Baker. It was also his 12th straight game of at least 100

yards, tying Wade Tift (1991-93) for second in school history. The late

Andre Stewart ranks No. 1 with 13 triple-figure outputs, all last season.

Craig completed 7 of 11 for 128 yards and two TDs, without an

interception, while also rushing 11 times for 87 yards in what Brinkley

said was his best game to date.

Gaeta caught five passes for 82 yards, including both aerial TDs. He

also snatched his sixth interception.

As impressive as the Sailors were offensively, their defense deserved

top billing in this one.

With linebackers Alan Saenz, Manderino and Andy Rankin filling with

abandon, tackle Nick Moghaddam (back after missing last week with a knee

injury), noseguard C.J. Collins, ends Ian Banigan and Joe Foley (the

latter filling in for Garrett Troncale, who left early after aggravating

a sprained ankle), as well as the secondary of corners Gaeta and Ryan

Spruth and safeties Dane Barton and David Sprenger, La Mirada fell 33

points short of its division-leading scoring average.

The Matadores, attempting to reach their sixth section final in nine

seasons, came in ranked No. 10 in Southern California and No. 15 in the

state by Cal-Hi Sports.

But, after the visitors drove 80 yards on 10 plays with the opening

kickoff, they managed just 170 yards and no points, until scoring on

their last possession, after Harbor had secured a 35-9 lead.

More than hemming in the Matadores, however, Harbor hammered any gold

helmet with the football.

“They’re a good football team and they outmuscled us,” La Mirada Coach

John Mele said.

“We told our kids there was no room for the timid,” Brinkley said. “If

anyone was timid tonight, we told them to step aside and let their buddy

take over. We wanted everyone to strap it up and go hit someone. And we

flew around and hit people tonight.”

Manderino, who pounded tacklers after getting sprung initially by

offensive linemen Robert Chai, Scott Lopez, Jim Erickson, Bryan Breland

and Jeff Marshall, as well as tight end Foley and fullback Travis

Trimble, was among those who sold out on defense.

“They had a lot of big guys, but we knew they hadn’t been hit all year

the way we hit,” Manderino said.

Saenz, the 6-2, 260-pound All-CIF performer, as well as Manderino,

Rankin, and Spruth, drew oohs and ahs several times with bone-jarring

defensive stops. Even junior reserve Cory Ray got into the act, leveling

a La Mirada kick returner.

Newport stopped 19 of 29 running plays for 3 yards or less, including

five for losses and three for no gain.

“Our defense was outstanding,” Brinkley said. “Our kids kept

everything in front of them.”

Spruth made one big play behind the line of scrimmage, catching

quarterback Erik Meyer for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the 3

early in the fourth quarter.

A touchdown would have drawn La Mirada within 12. But, Harbor, which

drove 80, 80 and 99 yards for first-half touchdowns, then 81 for its

third-quarter TD, followed the defensive stand by driving 94 yards on

nine plays to salt away yet another victory over a No. 1-ranked opponent.

The Tars upset top-seeded Servite in the 1996 Division V semifinal and

knocked off Division IV top seed, Rubidoux, in the 1992 quarterfinals.

Harbor also earned regular-season wins over Savanna (1995) and Tustin (‘91), when each was No. 1 in the divisional rankings.

“(Brinkley) does a good job of inspiring us,” Craig said. “We talked

about having beaten No. 1 teams in the past and I think it helped build

our confidence.”

Saenz said Mike White, a former head coach with the Raiders, Cal and

Illinois, whom Brinkley befriended when White’s son played for the

Sailors several years ago, also pumped the Tars up with a Friday address.

“He told us all to visualize the score on the scoreboard,” Saenz said.

“But my score (28-24) was a lot closer than this.”

Meyer, who came in with 2,788 yards and 37 TDs passing, completed 18

of 29 for 188 yards and one TD. He also led the Matadores with 76 rushing

yards on 10 attempts.

Senior receiver Bo Price, who had scored 25 TDs and amassed 1,416

receiving yards, was held to four catches for 52 yards.