Tars will be tested

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division VI

quarterfinal football showdown between No. 2-seeded Newport Harbor High

and visiting Villa Park is not the game of the century.

But the 7:30 p.m. contest will be the final game of the millennium for

either the Sailors (10-0-1) or the Spartans (9-2) and neither appear

eager to begin preparation for Y2K.

Coach Jeff Brinkley’s Sailors are looking to extend a nine-game winning

streak which ranks second in the program’s 69-season history. The Sea

View League champions are also hoping to extend their season to the final

calendar page by earning a berth in next week’s semifinals, where they

have already ventured four times this decade.

Coach Pat Mahoney’s Century League champions have won seven straight and

are looking to earn their first semifinal date in the ‘90s.

On paper, it appears to be a classic matchup of defense (Newport) vs.

offense. The Sailors, with three shutouts in their last four games,

including a 22-0 first-round triumph over El Dorado, have yielded just 83

points. Its the fewest points surrendered in Orange County, as well as

Division VI.

Villa Park, which capped three straight appearances in the CIF finals

with its only section title (Southern Conference) in 1977, is averaging

nearly 37 points per game, fourth-best in the county. The Spartans,

however, have averaged 49 points their last six games, including last

week’s 38-28 first-round win over Santa Ana.

“They’re balanced offensively and they have the most weapons of any team

we’ve faced,” Brinkley said of the Spartans, who feature record-setting

tailback Marquis Colvin.

Colvin, who transferred from Buena Park, where he rushed for 952 yards

and scored 15 touchdowns last fall, exploded for 275 yards and five TDs

against Santa Ana. The outburst upped his own school single-season-record

rushing total to 2,091 yards. His 242 carries have produced 33

touchdowns.

“He’s almost a clone of Andre Stewart,” Brinkley said, comparing the

5-foot-11, 172-pound senior to the Sailors’ productive senior tailback,

who has 1,726 yards and 21 TDs on 263 attempts, including 10 games of at

least 100 yards this fall.

The Spartans, however, are hardly smashmouth specialists. Junior

quarterback John Henry Jackson (5-10, 165) has thrown for 1,217 yards and

nine TDs. He has completed 85 of 144 (59%), with only three

interceptions.

Jackson’s favorite target is senior Bryan Arguello, who has 46 receptions

for 736 yards and eight touchdowns.

“(Jackson) throws it well and (Arguello) is really an all-around athlete

who punts, place-kicks, and returns kicks for them,” Brinkley said. “With

the running back, quarterback and receiver, they certainly present a big

challenge.”

The Newport defense has been up to any challenge lately, which Brinkley

attributes to a solid grasp of the team concept.

“We don’t really depend on one or two guys,” Brinkley said. “Everybody

understands the concept of our defense and everybody is making plays.”

Harbor had nine quarterback sacks and Clayton had two interceptions

against El Dorado.

Linebackers Alan Saenz, Mike Tunney and Chris Manderino, the front four

of Garrett Troncale, Nick Langsdorf, Andy Kalanz and Nick Moghaddam, as

well as the secondary of Justin Jacobs, Stewart, Billy Clayton and Dayne

Pfaff, will need to make plays to contain the Spartans.

Villa Park’s defense, which has given up nearly 22 points per game, is

not without its own challenge.

In addition to Stewart, who darts and dashes behind the offensive line of

tackles Blair Jones and Robert Cole, guards Nick Haddy and Steve Wukawitz

and center Luis Cruz, junior quarterback Manderino triggers a

complementary passing attack.

Manderino has thrown for 789 yards and 11 TDs, completing 44 of 100. He

has also rushed for 205 yards and five TDs.

Jacobs (18 catches for 357 yards and five TDs) and Clayton (16 for 257

yards and six TDs) lead the receiving corps.

Newport’s 3,778 offensive yards have more than doubled those of its

opponents (1,858) and the Sailors have a plus-11 turnover ratio.

Villa Park also features standout linemen James Benton (6-5, 260),

Anthony Bologna (6-2, 250) and John Anderson (6-2, 275), all of whom were

all-league picks as juniors last season.

It’s the second meeting between the two programs. Newport, 26-0-1 in its

last 27 games against teams not in the Sea View League, won the 1997

first-round playoff clash, 31-3.

The winner will meet either No. 3-seeded La Mirada or Kennedy in the

semifinals, Saturday, Dec. 4.