Tars lose opener, 16-8

MISSION VIEJO -- Trabuco Hills High was in its infancy the last

time the Newport Harbor football team lost a season opener.

But the host Mustangs played the part of the bullying older

brother Thursday, earning a 16-8 nonleague triumph over the Sailors.

Despite being dominated for much of the game, however, Newport,

which had won 12 and tied one of its last 13 openers, was in striking

distance near the end. But five Sailor passes into the end zone

either fell incomplete or were broken up in the final three minutes

to allow Trabuco to celebrate on its home field.

“We’ve got to get better,” said Newport Harbor Coach Jeff

Brinkley, whose team somehow led, 8-7 at halftime, despite running

only 13 offensive plays to the Mustangs’ 45.

Trabuco, with 6-foot-5 senior quarterback Brian White slinging and

scrambling consistently from shotgun formation, piled up 12

first-half first downs and a massive time of possession advantage

(18:07-5:53) before intermission.

Trabuco finally gained the lead on its first possession of the

third quarter, when Derik Martinez kicked a 32-yard field goal with

6:02 left in the period for a 10-8 edge.

Harbor’s next two possessions ended on Brian Payne’s interception,

the first of which he returned 10 yards to the Sailors’ 27 to set up

an insurance touchdown.

After six rushing plays and an incompletion, Ramon Scott ran 5

yards to make it 16-8 with 1:41 in the third. The conversion kick

failed, however, leaving Harbor within a touchdown and two-point

conversion of salvaging a tie in the opener for the second straight

year.

After Trabuco missed a 39-yard field goal, then punted on its

subsequent possession, Newport senior quarterback Michael McDonald

hit senior Mike Toole on a 41-yard bomb to the Mustangs’ 18.

A run and three incompletions in the end zone gave the hosts the

ball back, but they went three and out and the Tars took over near

midfield with 1:24 left.

McDonald hit sophomore Spencer Link over the middle for 22 yards

to the Trabuco 35, but the next four passes failed to move the

chains.

McDonald threw a strike over the middle to Link in the end zone on

fourth down, but returning All-South Coast League linebacker Riley

Mahoney drilled Link as the ball arrived, making a reception

virtually impossible. And the Mustangs ran out the final 46 seconds.

A McDonald to Link connection produced a 60-yard touchdown to put

the Tars up with 6:15 left in the first quarter.

Peter Hoyt carried in the two-point conversion on the swinging

gate and it was 8-0.

Trabuco struck back with an 18-play, 80-yard drive, which White

capped with a 5-yard flip to Sammy Forrest four plays into the second

quarter.

McDonald finished with 172 passing yards and Link had six

receptions for 102 yards. But Newport produced just 64 yards on the

ground.

White threw for 122 of his 163 passing yards before halftime and

Trabuco Hills compiled 150 yards on 48 rushing attempts.

“We just got ourselves beat,” Brinkley said.