Prep football: Battle of the Bay XL

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - High school football programs across the Southland

settle back more of a routine this week. For Back Bay rivals Corona del

Mar and Newport Harbor, there is nothing more familiar than squaring off

against one another in the Battle of the Bay.

Friday’s 7 p.m. contest at Orange Coast College marks the 40th game of

the classic and contentious series, renewed annually since 1963. The

Sailors and Sea Kings played twice in 1992, the second a classic showdown

in the CIF Southern Section Division IV semifinals.

Since the two schools entered separate leagues and CIF playoff

divisions last year, however, this has become truly a one-shot deal. Win

and savor the spoils -- the perpetual bell trophy and bragging rights --

for at least a year; for a lifetime if you graduate next spring.

Newport Harbor (1-0-1) enters ranked No. 7 in Orange County and No. 3

in the most recent CIF Division VI poll. The Sailors tied Orange Lutheran

in the opener, then crushed Marina, 28-0.

CdM, ranked No. 4 in the most recent CIF Division IX poll, rallied to

defeat Cypress, 42-17, in Week 1, then saw a 21-point lead vanish in a

34-34 tie against Troy last week.

Coach Dick Freeman’s Sea Kings rank No. 2 in Orange County in points

scored (76), while Coach Jeff Brinkley’s Sailors boast the county’s No. 1

scoring defense, yielding just 3.5 points per game.

Though much more prolific on the scoreboard, CdM holds just a slight

advantage over Harbor in total offense, 688 yards to 622, this fall.

The Sea Kings, however, have surrendered 694 yards, to only 490

accumulated by offenses which have opposed Newport.

As comparisons go, a big discrepancy can be found in the combined

sizes of the Newport offensive line and the CdM defensive front seven.

Harbor’s blocking wall led by All-CIF senior tackle Robert Chai and

including tight end Joe Foley, averages 6-foot-4, 252 pounds.

Conversely, CdM’s four defensive linemen and three linebackers average

6-0 1/2, 201 pounds.

“When you have 290-pound people blocking, you don’t have to do

anything fancy,” said Freeman. “But we can’t let them run over us. They

have lead blockers and guys pulling, but we’ve got to knock that first

row down. When Marina did have some type of success, it’s line kept

Harbor’s from coming off the ball.”

Freeman said emotion, a constant when these players, many of whom were

youth football teammates, collide, could help CdM overcome the colossal

size disadvantage.

“It’s the kind of game high school football should be about,” Freeman

said. “It’s like a packed gym in basketball. It’s something you want to

be a part of.”

Brinkley also acknowledges the special atmosphere that will prevail at

OCC.

“What kids do in this game is probably going to be brought up yearly

for the rest of their lives,” Brinkley said. “Whether it’s in the

newspaper, talking to one of their old teammates, or just somebody in the

community, there is going to be something to tie them in with whatever

year they played in this game.”

Among those attempting to distinguish themselves will be Newport

Harbor junior tailback Dartangan Johnson.

With 395 rushing yards on 54 carries, he ranks third among county

ground gainers. He rolled up 208 yards against Marina.

CdM counters with a diversified ground game, paced by juniors Mark

Cianciulli and Keith Long.

Cianciulli has 176 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries, while

Long has added 109 yards and two TDs on 19 attempts.

CdM’s passing game is triggered by senior Dylan Hendy, who has

completed 17 of 29 for 242 yards and two TDs. He has thrown two

interceptions.

The CdM offensive front is keyed by returning second-team All-Pacific

Coast League performers Steven Russell, a senior tackle, and John Daley,

a junior guard.

Newport’s offensive front is also spearheaded by senior guard Bryan

Breland and Montana-bound senior center Jeff Marshall.

Newport quarterback Morgan Craig is a returning All-Newport-Mesa

District performer, who connected on 12 of 14 and threw four TD passes

against Marina. He is 20 of 31 for 194 yards on the season, without an

interception.

Craig is without favorite receiver Brian Gaeta, who continues to be

sidelined by a sprained ankle. But the Sailor receiving corps should

benefit from the return of senior Jon Vandersloot, who missed the first

two games with a shin problem.

Senior Adam Kerns (three catches for 71 yards and two TDs) and junior

Mike McDonald (three catches for 31 yards and one TD) are the starting

wideouts for the Tars.

CdM’s receivers are headed by senior Steven Ward (four catches for 40

yards and one TD), senior Paul Jones (four catches for 81 yards) and

junior Jeff Reed (three catches for 55 yards and one TD).

“(The Sea Kings) are certainly scoring some points and they’re

balanced with the run and the pass,” Brinkley said. “They’ll come out in

multiple sets and shift a lot and they usually have one or two trick

plays lined up.

“Last week, our plan was to stop Marina’s veer and make them throw.

This week, it’s more a matter of choosing your poison.”

Defensively, the Sailors have been led by senior tackle Scott Kohan,

senior outside linebacker Tyler Miller, senior middle linebacker Cory Ray

and Kerns at cornerback.

CdM defensive standouts include junior tackle Jayson Skalla, Reed, who

made 13 tackles last week at outside linebacker, and junior inside

linebacker Matt Cooper.

Steve Shipman, a two-way starter in the trenches, joins Cooper and

Tyler McClellan as Sea Kings who pull consistent double duty.

Newport Harbor leads the series, 27-12, including two straight wins

and six victories in the last seven meetings. Newport has also won 17 of

20 when the two schools have met outside of league competition.