Second to none

Barry Faulkner

WESTMINSTER - If there’s anything more impressive than Newport

Harbor High’s Orange County-leading streak of 11 season-opening football

victories, it’s what the Sailors have done for an encore in Week 2.

When the Sailors take on nonleague host Marina High tonight at 7:30 at

Westminster High, they’ll be attempting to win their second game for the

14th straight fall.

They have, in fact, never lost in Week 2 since Coach Jeff Brinkley took

the helm in 1986.

Brinkley is gunning for his second consecutive Week 2 milestone. He

picked up his 100th victory at the Sailors’ helm against Marina last

fall. A win tonight would tie him with former Corona del Mar High head

man Dave Holland atop the Newport-Mesa District career victories list

with 106.

But Brinkley is more concerned with the Vikings than personal

achievements.

“It’s going to be a big test, obviously,” Brinkley said of Coach Mark

Rehling’s fifth Marina edition, which handled Corona del Mar, 28-7, in

its opener.

The Sailors, ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern Section Division VI and No. 10

in Orange County, cruised past Orange, 55-6, last week. But they’re

anxious to tackle the higher level of competition their former Sunset

League rival will provide.

Foremost among the Vikings’ weapons is senior two-time All-Sunset

fullback Ray Mietkiewicz, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound load. Mietkiewicz rushed

for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries against CdM, upping his

career rushing total to 2,546.

“No. 1, you have to stop their big guy,” Brinkley said. “But it’s not so

much stopping him, as containing him, because he seems to get his yards

every week.”

Also operating behind an offensive line which averages 241 pounds is

junior quarterback Beau Brown.

“He’s a good athlete,” Brinkley said of Brown, who rushed for 52 yards as

the trigger man on the veer attack and threw for 18 more (on four attempts) in his first football game since his freshman year. “We saw him

a couple years ago against our freshmen and he threw the ball around

pretty well.”

Senior Aaron Schooler had both Marina receptions in the opener.

Newport’s defense stuffed Orange’s running game (minus-25 yards), and

amassed 10 quarterback sacks against the Panthers.

Offensively, the Tars piled up most of their 385 total yards on the

ground, as senior tailbacks Andre Stewart and Ryan Brill each topped 100

yards.

Stewart, the starter, carried 11 times for 102 yards, including TD runs

of 18 and 47 yards.

Brill collected 113 yards on 10 carries, including scoring runs of 32 and

7 yards.It was the first time in 28 games the Sailors had two

triple-figure rushers.

Sophomore Brian Gaeta completed 1 of 5 in his first varsity start, while

junior Chris Manderino connected on 3 of 4 for 70 yards and a pair of TDs

in relief. Brinkley said the Gaeta-Manderino quarterback platoon will

continue.

Marina’s defense had six sacks against CdM, helping limit the Sea Kings

to just 28 yards on the ground and 87 in total offense. The Vikings also

had a pair of safeties and allowed the Sea Kings inside their own 30-yard

line only once.

Despite the lopsided victory, Brinkley was displeased with some general

sloppiness against Orange.

“Hopefully, we can clean things up a little bit,” he said.

Harbor has cleaned up over the years against Marina, earning a 15-3-2

series lead, including victories the last four years.