Fall rerun

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - What do a Dodgers playoff victory, an NBA title for

the Lakers and a season-opening loss for the Newport Harbor High football

team have in common? None have occurred in the 1990s.

The Sailors have won a Newport-Mesa District- and school-record 10 debut

contests heading into tonight’s 7 o’clock nonleague matchup with Orange

at El Modena High.

The skein of successful openers is currently tops in Orange County, since

Edison had it’s 10-game streak snapped last fall. What’s more, Coach Jeff

Brinkley’s Tars have won 20 in a row against teams outside the Sea View

League.

Orange, under second-year head man Kevin Capps, is looking to snap a

streak of significantly less distinction, as the Panthers come in without

a victory in their last 13 games.

It would appear unwise to expect a change in either trend.

The Sailors, anxious to rebound from only their second postseason absence

in the ‘90s, are ranked fifth in CIF Southern Section Division VI and

fresh off an impressive display in a scrimmage Friday against highly

regarded Mission Viejo.

“I think it’s time for us to go have a game,” Brinkley said. “I think our

kids are focused and ready to play.”

Orange tallied three touchdowns to Estancia’s two in its Friday scrimmage

and appears to be much-improved from a squad that surrendered a

county-worst 475 points in 10 games a year ago.

But the Century League representative has failed to beat Harbor in eight

straight openers and has not made the playoffs since 1992.

“They’re much-improved from last year and (Capps) has had a full year

with them, so they understand his system,” said Brinkley, who observed

the Panthers’ scrimmage in Harbor’s stadium. “They look like they have

some good skill people.”

Skill-position standouts who impressed against Estancia were junior

tailback Jeremy Poole, junior 6-foot-3, 225-pound fullback Rashaad Royal,

and junior tailback Jon Allmond.

Poole, a returning stater, exploded for a TD run of around 70 yards on

the second play against Estancia, but played little thereafter.

Royal, a bruising inside runner, is also a standout at defensive end,

while Allmond showed breakaway speed and elusiveness in the scrimmage.

The Panthers are also keyed by senior C.J. Joyner, a first-team

all-league receiver last season after catching 35 passes for 663 yards.

Joiner, however, may split time at quarterback with senior returner Ryan

Johnson.

Orange scored just 106 points last season, so offensive improvement won’t

be hard to pull off.

Newport Harbor will be hard-pressed to improve upon last year’s 70-6

trouncing of Orange, in which the Tars amassed 423 yards of offense to

the Panthers’ 137. The scoring explosion was the most points in a single

game in the 68-season history of the Harbor program.

But most of that output, including touchdowns on the first six Newport

possessions, was accomplished by a group of now-departed skill-position

starters.

Sophomore Edison transfer Brian Gaeta makes his varsity debut at

quarterback, while senior Andre Stewart makes his first varsity start at

tailback for the Sailors. Stewart has 182 rushing yards in 69 carries in

two seasons as a backup.

The Sailors do have experience at receiver, where seniors Billy Clayton

(24 receptions for 485 yards in ‘98) and Justin Jacobs (21 catches for

248 yards) provide proven targets for Gaeta, as well as junior Chris

Manderino, who figures to see time under center.

Clayton, Jacobs and Stewart will also start in the secondary, joining

Mike Tunney (fullback-outside linebacker) and Nick Langsdorf (tight

end-defensive end) as two-way starters.

Blair Jones, a 6-8, 245-pound senior tackle, anchors the Tars’ offensive

front. He is a big-time recruit, who has already fielded scholarship

offers from USC, Michigan, Cal, Oregon and Colorado.

Newport has outscored Orange, 149-27, the last three seasons and leads

the series, which began in 1931, 23-9-4.