Prep football: Special circumstances

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Newport Harbor High football coach Jeff Brinkley

doesn’t call them “specials” without reason. But, considering how rarely

he utilizes what most people refer to as gadget plays, perhaps “extra

specials” might be closer to the truth.

Faced with an explosive visiting Cerritos team in Friday’s CIF

Southern Section Division VI quarterfinal, however, it became apparent

early that the Sailors were going to have to take a chance or two to

advance to their seventh semifinal in 10 seasons.

The result was a touchdown on a end around throwback “Nebraska pass,”

from Mike McDonald to quarterback Morgan Craig, a swinging gate two-point

conversion run by David Marshall, as well as some big misdirection

running plays out of unusual formations that helped key a 36-25 triumph

over the Dons.

“We always have one or two specials ready and we work on them every

Wednesday in practice,” said Brinkley, who coordinates the No. 3-seeded

Sailors’ offense and calls the plays. “But they involve a calculated

risk, so they can be used only at certain times, against certain defenses

and at certain points on the field.

“Sometimes we never use them, which may be a fault of mine. But a lot

of times, things are going so well in games that I don’t want us to shoot

ourselves in the foot. But I realized this week we were in a game where

we needed to score some points. And, at this point (in the playoffs), you

have to pull out all the stops.”

So, when the Tars (10-1-1) moved across midfield late in the first

half, Brinkley told McDonald, a starting receiver who is also the backup

quarterback, to literally take the gloves off.

“As a play caller, you have to think ahead,” Brinkley said. “I told

Mike to take his gloves off, because I wanted to call the (Nebraska pass,

so named, because it keyed a Nebraska win over Oklahoma earlier this

season).

“We got the proper protection and Morgan did a nice job of getting

through a seam at the line of scrimmage and into an open space (for a

15-yard touchdown that upped Harbor’s lead to 22-7).”

It was the first time most Newport Harbor observers could remember

Brinkley using a special in a game. It had, in fact, almost become a

running joke. At least one parent had taken to howling sarcastic cheers

in recent years when the plays were deployed at the now-traditional

Thanksgiving morning practice.

Brinkley said he enjoyed preparing for the Dons’ unique version of the

Bears 46 defense, in which they frequently did not have a traditional

free safety.

“I felt like our scheme put us in a pretty good position,” Brinkley

said.

The Tars find themselves in position to reach their sixth section

title game in 10 years, if they can win Saturday’s semifinal at La Mirada

(10-1).

It’s a rematch of last year’s Division VI semifinal, in which Harbor

upset the top-seeded and previously unbeaten Matadores, 35-16, at

Newport’s Davidson Field.