Prep football: Attitude adjustment saves Tars

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Continuity has been a leading factor in the Newport

Harbor High football program reaching the CIF Southern Section Division

VI title game five of the previous nine seasons.

Sometimes, however, complacency can come with repetition and the

coaches’ continual reminders not to take opponents lightly may have,

however unwittingly, began to fall on indifferent ears last week.

So, down, 10-7, against underdog Laguna Hills Friday night at Mission

Viejo High, Sailors Coach Jeff Brinkley decided to pepper some spirited

verbiage at those same ears in the halftime locker room.

“It was the first time all year I was a little upset with them at

halftime,” said Brinkley, whose passion for taking one game at a time is

older than every one of his players.

“It really goes back to the fact that we want effort,” Brinkley said.

“If we’re giving a great effort and somebody can whip us anyway, that’s

the way it goes. But my feeling was that we weren’t giving the kind of

effort I thought we should.”

There were, as usual, some minor strategic adjustments. But Brinkley

credits the biggest reason for the Sailors’ 20-10 come-from-behind

victory, erasing the first deficit the team has faced all year, with an

adjustment of another kind.

“It was more a matter of attitude adjustment,” he said. “It’s tough,

sometimes, to get kids ready to play every week. Sometimes it takes the

reality of a situation like Friday night to hit them. Maybe we were lucky

enough to have learned that lesson and still come out of there with a

win. Sometimes, those lessons come after you wind up on the wrong end of

the score.”

Fortunately for the Sailors, they were able to score on their last

drive of the first half, to gain some confidence, then drive 80 yards on

14 plays with the second half kickoff to cut into the confidence Laguna

Hills had earned with a strong start.

“(The Hawks) played well and did a nice job,” Brinkley said. “In this

(Sea View) league, every week is a battle, especially when you’re the

team that is ranked high (No. 7 in Orange County and No. 2 in CIF

Division VI) and undefeated (7-0-1, 3-0 in league). It’s like I tell the

kids, everyone is going to come in with their hair on fire, ready to play

us tough. When (the Hawks) made some plays early, they started believing

they could play with our guys.”

A fumble caused by defensive end Bryan Breland and recovered by

linebacker Dave Erickson at the Harbor 4-yard line and a botched field

goal snap recovered by linebacker Cory Ray at the Sailors’ 11, helped

keep the first-half deficit manageable.

And, after completing 8 of 10 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown in

the first half, Newport senior quarterback Morgan Craig saw to it the

Sailors would prevail, clinching a CIF playoff berth in the process.

Craig completed 7 of 8 after intermission, spreading his pinpoint

deliveries to six different receivers on the night. Five different

Sailors caught at least two passes, including senior Adam Kerns, who also

had two interceptions.

Craig completions were responsible for three key third-down

conversions during the first two Harbor TD drives, and he connected with

Jon Vandersloot for 23 yards on fourth-and-seven to set up the capping

touchdown in the third quarter.

In addition, Craig ran for 52 yards on eight carries, including a

1-yard scoring sneak and a second-effort sneak to get the first down on

fourth-and-one to help Harbor eat valuable time off the clock in the

closing minutes.

Craig’s performance helped Harbor overcome a subpar effort on the

ground, as Laguna Hills’ swarming flex defense held the Tars to 115

rushing yards, less than half their average.

“Morgan threw the ball for a high percentage, the protection was there

(the fourth straight game without a sack) and we had a lot of receivers

step up and make some plays,” Brinkley said.

Senior Brian Gaeta, making his first start on offense since the season

opener, caught five passes for 43 yards, while Vandersloot, a senior who

has also missed time with an injury, made three impact catches for 44

yards.

“It was nice to see different guys step up, because that’s how you win

a league championship,” Brinkley said. “We’ve been lucky enough to have

that this year. It has really been a team thing.”

The Sailors will try to clinch their third league title during

Brinkley’s 16 seasons at the helm Friday when they host Woodbridge (6-1,

2-0), ranked No. 7 in Division VI. The Warriors were idle last week.