Football: Harbor devours Lions, 41-7

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - All went according to the master plan, beginning

with a large target on a banner created by the Newport Harbor High

cheerleaders and ripped through by the players.

What it represented was a bull’s-eye focus on the first round of the

CIF Southern Section Division VI football playoffs, following an almost

near-perfect week of practice for Coach Jeff Brinkley’s fourth-seeded

Sailors, who were determined to overlook nobody, including visiting

Westminster (3-7-1).

“A couple of our practices this week were the best ever,” Brinkley

said. “Our practice and preparation are what I was most pleased with.”

Newport Harbor (9-2), going for its third CIF title in seven years,

played like a team on mission, defeating Westminster, 41-7, setting up a

quarterfinal showdown against host Kennedy next week at Western High.

Kennedy advanced with a 45-14 victory over Villa Park.

“They did not have any letdown, and they didn’t take us too lightly,”

Westminster Coach Ted McMillen said of the Tars. “They took care of

business. They’re just a better team.”

In wasting no time, Newport Harbor senior tailback Chris Manderino

rushed for 63 yards on four carries, including a 16-yard touchdown 1:56

into the contest, in which Manderino was untouched.

After quickly getting the ball back, Manderino made a key block as

Sailor quarterback Morgan Craig connected with junior wide receiver Brian

Gaeta on a 13-yard completion, giving the Tars a first down at the Lions’

18.

Two plays later, Manderino ran up the gut and followed an enormous

hole to the end zone on a 13-yard touchdown. Gaeta’s PAT gave Harbor a

14-0 cushion midway through the opening quarter.

Westminster went three-downs-and-punt again, thanks to a first-down

sack by Newport’s Nick Moghaddam, who put Lions quarterback Fidel

Gonzales temporarily out of the game. Later in the first half, however,

Moghaddam was taken out because of an injury.

On Newport Harbor’s third series, it needed only three plays to score.

Craig and wide receiver Jon Vandersloot hooked up on a 38-yard pass play,

Manderino carried to the Lions’ 9-yard line, then Craig found Gaeta in

the end zone with 2:56 left in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter with Westminster’s offense threatening,

Harbor’s David Sprenger intercepted Gonzales and returned it 17 yards to

the Newport 19.

Two plays later, Manderino was in the end zone again, this time on a

68-yard scoring run, following a 13-yard pass to Gaeta.

Later in the second quarter, Gaeta stepped in front of a Gonzales pass

and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown, then Duke Burchell’s PAT

provided the hosts with a commanding 35-0 lead.

“The quarterback rolled out, and I knew a (receiver) was in the flat,

and luckily I read the play correctly,” Gaeta said. “I just saw the

quarterback throw the ball, intercepted it and saw nothing but grass in

front of me and the end zone.”

The Sailors intercepted Gonzales three times and sacked Westminster

quarterbacks four times for minus-19 yards.

Gonzales, who started the game with one touchdown pass and 14

interceptions on the season, was picked off again by Sprenger early in

the second half, leading to Newport Harbor’s longest scoring drive of the

game (3:39).

Twice in the Sailors’ series, they converted on second-and-23

situations, with the drive capped by Dede Johnson’s 28-yard touchdown

run.

The Lions, who have been shut out five times this season, scored their

only touchdown on their ensuing series. A screen pass from Gonzales to

Jared Jenkins went for 38 yards and set up Tony Tran’s 5-yard scoring

jaunt.

Newport Harbor, which has won 18 of its last 19 playoff openers, and

10 of 11 under Brinkley, had its backup players on the field in the

second half.

“The kids were very focused, because they know you’ve got to get ready

every week in the playoffs,” said Brinkley, whose team has won five

straight games. “You don’t want to stumble against Westminster. (The

Lions) played hard. I’ve been on both ends of this.”

Outside of the Sea View League, where the Tars finished as runners-up

this year, Harbor is 30-1-1 in its last 32 games against teams not in the

Sea View.

Manderino was pulled from Harbor’s offense after his long touchdown

run in the second quarter, finishing with 148 yards on 10 carries.

Craig, who completed his first six passes, passed for 108 yards,

including four to Gaeta for 42 yards.

The Tars, who had 486 net yards, held Westminster to minus-2 yards on

the ground in the first half.