Sink or swim

Barry Faulkner

Newport Harbor High football coach Jeff Brinkley believes Laguna

Hills, which visits Friday at 7 p.m. for a Sea View League clash,

enters in the same boat as the Sailors.

And with both teams at 1-1 in league, the loser of this matchup of

2001 CIF Southern Section Division VI semifinalists will sink into

the Sea View’s second division with only two regular-season games

remaining.

“It’s pretty much a must-win situation for both teams, if they

want to stay in the hunt,” said Brinkley, whose Sailors (5-2, 1-1 in

league), ranked No. 7 in CIF Division VI, lost a 28-20 decision at

Irvine last week to end a five-game winning streak.

The Sailors, who also saw an eight-game league winning streak come

to an end against the Vaqueros, still have a seven-game home win

streak alive. And Brinkley hopes a homecoming crowd will help keep

the Hawks winless against Harbor since Laguna Hills entered the

league in 1999.

“It’s a big game for us and we’re glad to be playing at home,

where we’ve played pretty well so far,” Brinkley said.

Brinkley also believes his players’ ability to bounce back -- the

Sailors have not lost back-to-back regular-season games since 1998 --

is a good sign.

“Our players have a lot of pride in the program and they have not

been put in this situation very often,” Brinkley said. “We’ll see if

they can rise to the occasion.”

The Tars rose to the challenge last year against Laguna Hills,

rallying from a 10-0 deficit to record a 20-10 victory at Mission

Viejo High.

Laguna Hills (4-3, 1-1) has alternated wins and losses this

season, bouncing back from a hard-fought 39-33 league-opening loss to

Sea View favorite Foothill to handle Woodbridge last week, 42-14.

“They have a good football team and I picked them to be in the

upper part of this league when the thing is all said and done,”

Brinkley said. “They’ve proved they can play with almost anybody

after playing Foothill so tough. They’re playing well right now and

they’re a little more balanced than Irvine. They can run the ball and

they can throw it, so they make you defend the whole field.”

The Sailors have defended everyone well this season, except Irvine

senior running back Terrell Vinson, who rushed for 309 yards and

scored three touchdowns last week.

Laguna Hills’ running game has been keyed by senior running back

Lorenzo Jackson, who has produced 776 yards and 12 TDs on 107 carries

this fall.

Adam Berutich is another quality back, having compiled 322 yards

and four TDs on 54 rushing attempts. Jackson is 5-foot-11, 215

pounds, while Berutich, also a standout linebacker, is 6-1, 220.

Junior quarterback Chris Lamkin has thrown for 790 yards and 10

TDs (completing 49 of 102 with six interceptions).

Senior Andrew Larson is the leading receiver with 18 catches for

158 yards, but senior Dane Endly is the Hawks’ most dangerous

pass-catching threat. Endly, who caught two passes for 64 yards,

including his team’s only TD last year against Newport, is averaging

37.4 yards on his seven catches this fall, four of which have

produced touchdowns.

“(Endly) has great speed and he burned us last year,” Brinkley

said.

The Newport Harbor offense has made a habit of burning opposing

defenses, splitting its 2,367 yards almost evenly between the run and

the pass.

Senior tailback Dartangan Johnson has rushed for 795 yards and 13

TDs, including 10 TDs the last three games, and last week moved atop

the school’s career rushing list with 2,800 yards. Johnson, who also

set a record for career 100-yard games last week (14), has gained at

least 100 in five straight contests, behind and offensive line keyed

by returning starters A.J. Slater and Chris Badorek.

Senior quarterback Michael McDonald has triggered an effective

aerial attack. The first-year starter has thrown for 1,091 yards and

seven TDs, completing 73 of 131 (55.7%) with only three

interceptions.

Senior Mike Toole (23 catches for 368 yards and one TD) and

sophomore Spencer Link (20 catches for 383 yards and four TDs) are

McDonald’s favorite targets.

Newport Harbor may be without junior defensive standout Matt

Encinias, a two-year starter at outside linebacker who injured his

thumb, possibly a fracture, in practice this week. If Encinias can’t

play, junior Peter Hoyt would start in his place.

Laguna Hills also has a strong kicking game, featuring Larson, who

has booted six field goals this fall, including a long of 44 and

another of 43.

If the game comes down to the fourth quarter, Newport Harbor may

have an advantage. Laguna Hills, which has outscored its opponents

each of the first three quarters this season, has been outscored,

73-33, in the final 12 minutes.

Newport, which has outscored teams, 64-0 in the first quarter this

season, holds a 43-13 edge in the fourth quarter through seven games.