Savoring the moment

Barry Faulkner

At a time of year when the preleague season can become a little

stale and high school football players’ focus tends to drift toward

“the games that really count,” Newport Harbor prepares for its final

preleague contest, tonight at 7 against visiting Paramount, with the

kind of “in the moment” approach Actors Studio inquisitor James

Lipton would appreciate.

“We’re going to go at it one game at a time and zero in on these

guys,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “Football is much

different than other sports, because you’re only guaranteed 10 times

out of the chute. For our guys, we’re down to six more guaranteed

games.”

The Sailors (3-1), ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division

VI, aren’t guaranteed victory, which would up their preleague record

to 31-2-2 since the start of the 1996 season. But the Pirates (0-4),

would appear to face a steep uphill battle, after struggling to

compete against their first four opponents.

Paramount, a once-proud program that won the CIF Southern Section

Division III title in 1989, lost in the Division II final in 1990 and

won or shared the San Gabriel Valley League title three times from

1996-99, failed to make the playoffs the last two seasons and is now

8-15-1 since 1999.

The Pirates, who have been outscored a combined 178-40 in losses to Marina, Long Beach Wilson, Lakewood and Millikan, have also been

slowed this season by having to adjust to new system installed by

first-year coach Steve Collins.

“They’re kind of in the same boat Dana Hills (a 36-7 victim of the

Sailors last week), was, with a new coach making changes,” Brinkley

said. “(Former coach) Ken Sutch was there a long time.”

And while it won’t be long until the Sailors open Sea View League

play (Oct. 18 against visiting Aliso Niguel), Brinkley said his

players have been inspired by the not-too-distant memory of a 16-8

season-opening loss to Trabuco Hills.

“I get the sense that the players are enjoying what we’re doing,

enjoying the success,” Brinkley said. “I think they suffered a little

adversity that first week and I think they like being on this

(winning) end a whole lot more than that (losing) end.”

Since playing poorly against Trabuco, the Sailors have shored up

their running game and tightened down their defense.

Senior tailback Dartangan Johnson has topped the 100-yard rushing plateau each of the last two games, after totaling just 81 yards the

first two contests.

Johnson’s 121-yard, two-touchdown effort on 17 carries against

Dana Hills, upped his season total to 346 rushing yards and three

TDs. With 2,351 career rushing yards, he is 350 from breaking the

school record established by Steve Brazas in 1982-83.

With the running game seemingly up to speed, the Sailors present

potentially devastating balance to opposing defenses. With 247

rushing yards and 201 passing yards against Dana Hills, the Sailors

produced at least 200 in both categories for the first time in 73

games, dating back to Week 9 of the 1996 regular season.

Brinkley anticipates Paramount will continue to stack eight in the

box and cover receivers man-to-man, which could provide an enticing

challenge for senior quarterback Michael McDonald. But McDonald, who

sustained a shoulder injury against Dana Hills, may not play,

Brinkley said. If he were sidelined, sophomore Kasey Peters would

assume the controls. Peters is 0 for 1 as a varsity passer.

McDonald, who posted career single-game highs in passing yards

(201) and TD passes (three) last week, has completed 44 of 79 for 644

yards and five TDs this fall, with only three interceptions.

Nine different Newport receivers have caught passes, led by

sophomore Spencer Link (12 catches for 236 yards and three TDs) and

senior Mike Toole (12 for 212 yards and one TD).

Newport, which ranks eighth in Orange County in scoring defense,

will attempt to continue its recent stifling play. The Sailors, led

by linebackers Matt Encinias, Fernando Castorena and Jimmy Sanchez,

linemen Shahan Mouradyan, Mac Posey, Austin Nieto and Chase Brawner,

safeties Warren Junowich and Johnson, as well as corners Bryce Sawyer

and Ben Soza, has allowed just seven points over the last 10

quarters, beginning with the second half of a 23-14 Week 2 win over

Marina.

A victory would give the Tars, ranked No. 9 in Orange County, at

least four preleague wins for the seventh straight season and would

give them victories in 16 of their last 17 home games, 25 in their

last 27.

This is the first meeting between the two schools.