A banner year for the Tars

From a 1-9 season eight years ago, Joe Urban has come a long way.

The coach of the Newport Harbor High freshman football team for the

past eight seasons led one of his most successful marches this fall.

The Sailors, 9-1, won the Sea View League with a 5-0 record, their

only loss coming in the first week to Trabuco Hills.

“It was successful on a lot of different levels,” Urban said.

“Some played football for the first time. The challenge comes on

Thursdays and they came to play with a lot of heart. Our coaches did

a great job with the guys in the summertime. I’m so pleased.”

Newport wound up playing 15 games total with five reserve games

scattered throughout the season, and Urban hopes his players’

experiences translate to future success for the program.

“Hopefully this group will stay together and have a good future,”

Urban said. “Hopefully they will buy into the offseason stuff and the

dedication that goes along with the Harbor tradition and have success

the next few years.”

“The group” Urban speaks of includes quarterback Michael Cantwell,

linebacker Delano McKenzie, center Alex Flores and running back Ryan

Rippon.

Even though this column is called “Lightweights,” Newport Harbor’s

freshman team could be called heavyweights on par with some schools’

varsity teams in terms of size.

Cantwell and McKenzie received the team’s Offensive and Defensive

Player of the Year awards, respectively, at the teams’

end-of-the-year banquet Thursday night while Flores received an award

for leadership.

Cantwell completed 6 of 10 passes for 81 yards and a 12-yard

touchdown in a 12-0 victory over Foothill Nov. 14 while McKenzie

carried six times for 44 yards and 2 TDs against the Knights.

“They exemplify the program,” Urban said. “They are great practice

players that always come to play on Thursdays. They both are the type

of kids that lead more by example than yelling the ‘rah-rah’ stuff.

They have a great work ethic, which was important for us to be

successful. Some of that you can’t coach.”

Rippon had six games of more than 100 yards rushing this fall.

“It was hard to single out a few kids for the banquet,” Urban

said. “There are a lot of good football players here.”

The younger players see the success of the varsity team and want

to emulate them a lot of the times, Urban added. “We’ve had some good

players come through and have had good coaches over the years that

have helped build these guys -- that’s the key. (Varsity Coach) Jeff

Brinkley does a great job in the offseason with these guys.”

A player’s transformation from the end of the freshman season to

spring practice can be the biggest change for a young athlete, Urban

said.

“Six months from now they look like different kids,” Urban said.

“I think a number of them will get into the lifting and conditioning

for speed and strength to get ready for the next level because the

speed really goes up.”

There’s no telling how big and how fast some of these players

might become, but the junior varsity and varsity ranks at Newport

Harbor should reap the benefits for the next few years if this year

is any indication.

Only time will tell what these players will accomplish, but for

this season, they were kings of the Sea View League and won a coach’s

heart.

How the tables have turned since a 1-9 start eight years ago for

Urban. “It’s not always where you start out, it’s where you end up,”

he said.