It’s in the eyes

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Jeff Brinkley, three victories shy of becoming the

winningest football coach in Newport-Mesa District history, approaches

his 14th season at the Newport Harbor High helm with the enthusiasm of a

rookie.

A record player turnout (80 combined varsity and junior varsity bodies

opened fall drills), nine returners with starting experience, including

blue-chip offensive tackle Blair Jones, a combined 16-2-2 record from

last year’s JV and freshmen teams and the arrival of a talented

sophomore transfer at quarterback are all reasonable explanations for

Brinkley’s preseason bliss.

Then again, these good vibrations, stirred, no doubt, by the competitive

adrenaline triggered each fall in all football coaches, may also be

traced to the disappearance of longtime nemesis Santa Margarita from the

Tars’ Sea View League -- and potential playoff -- schedule.

The Saddleback Valley parochial school had, after all, been responsible

for half of Harbor’s 12 losses in its last 22 games against Sea View

representatives (including playoffs).

These frustrations are even more severe when contrasted with Harbor’s

current 20-game winning streak against teams not in the Sea View. During

this run, the Sailors have outscored their interleague foes (including

playoffs) an average of 37-9.

Orange County releaguing, completed in January, annexed Santa Margarita,

El Toro and Corona del Mar from Sea View circles. Imported in their place

were former Pacific Coast League and CIF Division VIII powerhouses Laguna

Hills and Aliso Niguel.

And while the two additions have each won section titles in the latter

half of this decade (Aliso in ’96 and Laguna Hills on ‘97), conventional

wisdom would place them below Sea View holdovers Newport, Irvine,

Woodbridge and Harbor (with five combined CIF championships in the 1990s)

in preseason league title projections.

The aforementioned Sea View veterans are ranked No. 5 (Harbor), No. 6

(Woodbridge) and No. 7 (Irvine) in the preseason CIF Division VI poll.

Laguna Hills and Aliso are unranked.

Brinkley believes Irvine, 10-2-1 last fall with strong JV and freshmen

teams as well, should be the favorite.

But the Sailors, with myriad strengths, appear poised to bounce back from

only their second playoff absence in the last 10 seasons. The last time

the Tars missed the playoffs, they rebounded into the 1996 Division V

title game.

“I don’t know if (making the finals) will happen, but last year (6-4, 1-4

in league) is a motivating factor for all of us,” Brinkley said.

“Everyone here takes a lot of pride in the program and we’ve all worked

hard to be a part of (the postseason) again this year.”

There is much to be proud of at Newport, which has won more games (64)

than all but one Orange County public school (Los Alamitos with 80) since

1992. The Tars have been to the CIF finals three times during that span,

including an unbeaten title run in ’94. Additionally, the 1997 season

ended in the semifinals.

If the Sailors are to extend their season beyond Thanksgiving, the 1999

edition will need to solve pressing concern over inexperience at

quarterback and on the defensive line.

Sophomore Edison High transfer Brian Gaeta and senior Chris Manderino are

the two front-runners to start under center. Neither has thrown a varsity

pass.

Brinkley has rarely trusted the controls of his offense to a junior, let

alone a sophomore, but Gaeta (6-foot, 190 pounds), who also stars in

soccer and played varsity volleyball last spring at Edison, could be

worth making an exception for.

Manderino, who triggered the JV attack last season, is a gritty leader.

But he will start on defense and Brinkley doesn’t like his signal callers

to assume double duty.

Brinkley, however, believes the presence of the 6-8 245-pound Jones, an

All-Newport-Mesa tackle whose recruiting mail would likely stack at least

that tall, and two other returning starters up front, will spearhead the

kind of running attack defenses must respect.

Seniors Andre Stewart (182 yards and three TDs in 69 carries in two

seasons as an understudy) and Ryan Brill are the primary tailbacks.

When Brinkley calls for the pass, his quarterback will have quality

targets to choose from. Seniors Billy Clayton, an all-district receiver

who was first-team all-league at safety, caught 25 passes for 485 yards

and two touchdowns as a junior.

Senior returner Justin Jacobs, like Clayton a two-way starter this fall,

had 21 receptions for 248 yards and three TDs. Jacobs comes off the most

impressive summer of all Sailor pass catchers, Brinkley said.

Clayton and Jacobs will anchor a solid secondary, while 250-pound junior

Alan Saenz looms between outside starters Manderino and Mike Tunney to

form what should be a menacing linebacking corps.

The defensive line, however, is a crop of newcomers, who will have to

step up against league programs all known for quality running games.

Brinkley, whose 104 wins at Newport are just two fewer than the

district-leading total former CdM Coach Dave Holland posted in 20 years

as the Sea Kings’ head man, also appreciates this group’s intangibles.

“I like the chemistry,” he said. “The kids have a good mutual respect for

each other, they seem focused, and I just like the look in their eyes.”