Shadowlands

Looking back, 5 years ago this week.

Newport Harbor High’s defense, with nine sacks for 50 yards in losses,

keys a 29-6 CIF Southern Section Division V first-round playoff victory

over Anaheim. “The defense kind of took care of us tonight,” says Newport

Coach Jeff Brinkley, who also says his Sailors are a little uptight in

the early going. The offense gets the job done but finishes with two

turnovers and 119 penalty yards on 12 infractions. Newport defensive

tackle Derek Fox nails Anaheim quarterback Luis Gomez twice for sacks and

he’s not alone in tormenting the signal caller. Ends Erich Schader (three

sacks) and Reed Johns (two), as well as fellow tackle Jason Deere (two)

track Gomez down repeatedly to help limit the Colonists to just six

completions. Brad La Bass catches touchdown passes of 6 and 67 yards.

Tailback Ray Ohrel runs for 93 yards and one touchdown on 29 carries.

The Newport Harbor girls volleyball team falls in five games to Mira

Costa in a CIF Southern Section Division I-AA semifinal,8-15, 15-6, 9-15,

15-13, 15-4. Beth Waterman leads Newport in the Tars’ third-game victory

with nine of her team-leading 23 kills. Newport makes 12 unforced errors

in the fifth game, five in the latter stages. “We had a shot,” Newport

Coach Dan Glenn says. “We made a lot of unforced errors in the games we

lost, and in the games we won, we didn’t. It was definitely nobody’s

fault. The kids played hard and we just wound up on the wrong end.”

Waterman amasses 24 digs, while Melissa Snow comes up with 17 kills and

nine digs and freshman April Ross adds nine stuff blocks.

Michael Tornblom heads in the game-winning goal with less than one

minute to play to lead the Orange Coast College men’s soccer team to a

5-4 victory over rival Golden West. After letting a three-goal lead slip

through their hands, the Pirates score twice in the final two minutes to

pull out the win. Johan Bjorkman, Jose Jorifa and Joseph Heider help OCC

open a 3-0 lead. Marco Diaz later ties the game and loops a pass for

Tornblom’s winning effort. Byron Livingston records 13 saves for OCC.

Looking back, 10 year ago this week.

Newport Harbor High “Ofer-hauls” its run-oriented offense in favor of

a short passing game, which riddles host Buena Park all night in a 35-14

Sailors victory to open the CIF Division VI football playoffs. Newport

senior quarterback Mike Ofer throws for a season-high 215 yards,

including season bests in completions (21) and attempts (30) to key the

Sailors’ 13th-straight first-round playoff victory in atypical fashion.

“I guess you could call us air Newport,” quips Tars Coach Jeff Brinkley.

Ofer’s aerial barrage includes four primary receivers, with Branon

Collucio (six catches for 82 yards), Chad La Bass (six for 56), Aaron

McKown (five for 49) and Jason Lawson (four for 28 and one TD), making

themselves at home in Buena Park’s secondary. Brandon Finney does his

part in the running game, rushing for 88 yards and three touchdowns on 18

carries. Newport defensive back Wade Tift intercepts a wounded duck pass

and races into the end zone untouched from 25 yards out with 4:53 left in

the first half.

Costa Mesa High fires its eight-year football coach Tom Baldwin, in

what is termed by Baldwin as “a complete surprise.” But in keeping with

his nature, the always-upbeat Baldwin denies it is a “sad day” for him

and vows to continue coaching at another site. “Hey,” says Baldwin. “I’ll

tell you what a sad day is. That’s like Dec. 12, 1952 in Korea and you’re

overrun by the Chinese and get ‘detained’ for a little while. Now, that’s

a sad day.” Baldwin’s eight-year record at Costa Mesa is 25-56-2,

including a playoff appearance in 1990.

-- complied by Steve Virgen