Prep football: Calling in a debt

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Jeff Brinkley recently told his Newport Harbor High

football players they supply emotional income to their community.

Saturday night, when the No. 4-seeded Sailors (10-2) host top-seeded

La Mirada (12-0) in a 7 o’clock CIF Southern Section Division VI

semifinal, Brinkley hopes to make a withdrawl.

“Hopefully, all the alumni and people in the community will fill this

(stadium) up and give us a little home crowd behind us,” Brinkley said.

“Because this one is going to take a big effort.”

Brinkley compared the challenge presented by the Matadores as similar

to previous playoff meetings against top-seeded Rubidoux (1992) and

Servite (‘96), both upset wins for the Sailors.

“Just like those two games, we’re going to need a maximum effort,”

Brinkley said.

The Sailors have received close to that in two playoff wins, thus far,

following a workmanlike 41-8 victory over Westminster with a 49-10

quarterfinal romp over Kennedy.

“We’re playing well right now and the kids have certainly practiced

extremely well the first two (playoff) weeks, which has had a lot to do

with the way we’ve played.” Brinkley said. “Hopefully, we’ll do the same

and be prepared for Saturday.”

The Sailors preparation must somehow include an answer for the

Division’s highest-scoring offense (49.4 points per game to top even

Tustin).

And while senior quarterback Erik Meyer has thrown for 2,788 yards and

36 touchdowns, Coach John Mele’s perennial powerhouse has produced nine

of its 14 postseason touchdowns on the ground.

“They have the full package. They’re not one-dimensional,” said

Brinkley, who could not compare the Suburban League champions to anyone

the Tars have faced this fall.

“We haven’t played anyone quite like them,” Brinkley said. “They can

run it effectively and (Meyer) throws the heck out of it. (Meyer is) also

a running threat when flushed out of the pocket. It’s going to take a

full defensive package.”

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Meyer, being recruited by Oregon, Iowa State

and Fresno State, according to Mele, has also rushed for seven TDs. He is

32-0 as a prep starter, including championship runs at the freshman and

junior varsity levels.

The weaponry only begins with Meyer, however, as diminutive senior

receiver Bo Price has scored 25 touchdowns, while senior running backs

Brandon Williams and Junior Vaca have combined for another 28.

Price, whom 29-year coaching veteran Mele (the last 13 at the

Matadores’ helm) calls “probably the quickest player I’ve ever seen,” has

22 TD receptions, including 12 of 33 yards or more. He can beat defenders

deep, but has gotten most of his yards after catching short tosses. He

has also returned three punts to paydirt.

“You don’t want to see him get the ball in space,” Brinkley said of

the 5-5 Price, who has drawn double coverage in two playoffs games. “He’s

a big-play guy.”

Williams, who did not play the last two seasons, is the leading rusher

with 859 yards and 16 TDs on 117 carries.

Vaca has rushed for more than 500 yards and 12 TDs, while

Stanford-bound senior linebacker Chris Rudiger (6-1, 230) is another

backfield threat at fullback.

In addition to Price, Jarrell Shavers tops Meyer’s list of aerial

targets. Shavers has 31 catches for 615 yards and six TDs. Also a free

safety, he has intercepted a pass in each playoff game, a 52-8

first-round thumping of Woodbridge, then a 41-8 quarterfinal conquest of

Cypress.

Newport’s four-three defense will counter with a team concept, built

around denying the big play and forcing opponents to drive for the 12.1

points they are averaging this fall.

Middle linebacker Alan Saenz, All-CIF last season as a junior and the

team leader in tackles the last two falls, keys the defense.

Chris Manderino, the team’s marquee tailback, also plays a huge role

on defense at outside linebacker, while senior senior ends Ian Banigan

and Garrett Troncale (nine sacks apiece) and junior cornerback Brian

Gaeta (five interceptions) are additional stalwarts.

Harbor’s zone pass coverage held a previously productive Kennedy

passing attack to just 84 yards (148 total offense) last week. But La

Mirada’s run game likely won’t allow the Tars to regularly detach six men

into coverage.

Newport has allowed just 2,284 yards to opposing offenses, only 1,049

on the ground.

Newport’s offense is averaging 30.6 points per game, exactly 10 points

more the last five contests. Still, the Sailors pound methodically with

Manderino, more than explode with big plays.

The 6-1, 205-pound workhorse has amassed 1,797 yards on 299 carries,

surpassing the 100-yard plateau in all 10 starts at tailback, after

shifting from the quarterback spot he assumed for last year’s CIF

Division VI title run.

Operating behind tackles Robert Chai and Scott Lopez, guards Bryan

Breland and Jim Erickson, center Jeff Marshall, tight end Joe Foley and

hammerhead fullback Travis Trimble, Manderino has helped the Tars compile

nearly 60% of their 3,783 offensive yards via the rush.

Manderino’s 29 touchdowns are one behind the school single-season

record set by Brett Baker in 1997.

Junior Morgan Craig will likely be expected to produce more through

the air this week. He has completed 87 of 142 for 1,017 yards and seven

TDs, with only three interceptions. But, due to its ground dominance,

Harbor has seldom had to approach balance through the air.

Craig has completed 13 of 16 for 170 yards and one TD in the playoffs.

Gaeta leads Harbor receivers with 49 catches for 631 yards and four TDs.

Saturday’s winner will meet either No. 2-seeded Irvine (12-0) or No.

3-seeded Tustin (11-1), who square off in the other semifinal Friday at

Irvine.