Boys basketball: Sailors know the way to Santa Fe

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - Aaron Yarnal did the pretty work, while Nadim

Pajevic and Tony Melum pounded out the dirty work. Between the threesome,

the Newport Harbor High boys basketball team found a way to win despite a

couple of obstacles.

A teamwide flu bug combined with a gritty Santa Fe squad gave Newport

fits, but in the end, the host Sailors pulled out a 55-50 win in the

first round of the CIF Southern Section Division I-A playoffs Friday

night.

“We had tape on these guys, but I don’t think we completely realized

how quick they really were,” a relieved Newport Coach Larry Hirst said

afterward. “They were very well-coached and well disciplined. That’s all

we’re going to see during the playoffs. Every level will get tougher and

tougher, so we better be ready for it.”

Yarnal, one of various Sailor players slowed with a virus that has

been passed from player to player over the past couple of weeks, led the

Sailors (20-6) with 22 points, while Pajevic and Melum (10 points) each

pulled down 14 big rebounds.

“People might see Aaron’s 22 points and give him all the credit, but

Tony and Nadim were huge for us down low, especially Nadim,” Hirst said.

“He really lit a spark for us with his effort and hustle.”

With the win, the Sailors will play against Pacific High of San

Bernardino on Tuesday, beginning at 7:30 p.m. A coin flip will decide the

site. Pacific defeated Poly of Riverside, 65-64.

The Sailors used massive and rapid substitutions throughout the game

to keep gas in the players’ tanks. “At certain points, our energy level

was down from the bug, but we weren’t going to use that as a reason not

to compete, Hirst said.”

Mike Garcia had 17 points to lead the Chiefs (15-10), while Victor

Castaneda chipped in with 13, including three three-pointers.

Newport led for most of the first half, though Santa Fe kept the game

close throughout, never trailing by more than five. Yarnal scored eight

of Newport’s 13 first-quarter points, while seven different Sailors

scored in the second quarter, giving the hosts a 29-24 halftime lead.

Newport opened the third quarter with a 7-3 run to push the lead to

nine before the Chiefs closed out the quarter with a 10-4 run and cut the

lead to 40-37. Duke Rivera scored five of his seven points in that

quarter.

The Sailors led by four with 3:25 remaining in the game when Santa Fe

got two successful free throws by Garcia and a three-pointer from John

Temidara to give the Chiefs a 50-49 lead with 2:33 left, sending the

well-attended Santa Fe faithful into a frenzy.

Was Hirst concerned at that point? “I was concerned right from the

opening tip,” he confessed. “That’s a very solid team over there. They

battled right down to the end.”

That’s when Yarnal went to work. The senior guard hit a jumper with

1:20 left to give the lead back to Newport. Following a missed shot by

Santa Fe, Yarnal, with the shot clock nearing zero, hit a leaping,

leaning, 10-footer with 30 seconds remaining for a 53-50 Newport

advantage.

“Yarnal was probably the sickest of them all during the week,” Hirst

said. “He really picked up the offensive slack for us and did a great job

on both ends of the floor. That’s what a senior leader is supposed to

do.”

Santa Fe missed again on its next trip down the floor and was forced

to foul Melum, who calmly made both free throws with nine seconds left to

ice the game.”

Following the game, Hirst made one request in terms of his next

opponents. “No more quick teams, no more quick teams,” he said with a

laugh.