Tars stunned, 35-28

Barry Faulkner

Fittingly, this one ended with a roar from both sides of the

stadium. But it was the players from visiting Valencia High who

hooted and high-stepped off the field Friday night after capturing a

remarkable 35-28 comeback victory in the first round of the CIF

Southern Section Division VI football playoffs at Newport Harbor

High.

The Tigers (7-4) erased a 21-0 deficit to pull even with 1:18 left

in the third quarter, then scored on both of their fourth-quarter

possessions to come away with a mildly surprising triumph.

The loss, Newport’s first in the first round since 1993, only its

second first-round defeat in 13 playoff appearances under 17-year

coach Jeff Brinkley, and the initial first-round home loss in

Brinkley’s tenure, eliminated the Sailors (7-4).

After Valencia drove 72 yards on six plays to take a 28-21 lead

with 8:29 left in the game, Newport Harbor marched 61 yards on 12

plays to tie the game with 4:51 remaining.

But Valencia, which has now won four straight first-round playoff

contests, refused to be denied.

Coach Mike Marrujo’s Tigers moved 70 yards on seven plays, the

capper a 32-yard touchdown pass up the seam from Steve Lajkowicz to

Nathan Dedic on fourth-and-three, to finalize the scoring with 59

seconds left.

Newport’s final possession ended on a 57-yard desperation bomb

from Michael McDonald to Ben Soza. Soza came down with the ball near

the sideline at the Valencia 20-yard line as time expired.

“This is the most exciting win we’ve had in a long time,” said

Marrujo, in his 22nd season at Valencia. “This win feels very good.

Our kids just didn’t want to lose.”

Newport Harbor’s quick start indicated the same, but, in the end,

the Sailors were outmuscled by the Tigers, particularly by Valencia’s

offensive line.

“They played hard and we played hard, too,” Brinkley said. “They

made plays and we didn’t. But the bottom line is that we didn’t stop

the run. Sometimes playoff games come down to the team that is

driven. (The Tigers) were very driven. They battled all the way and

we came up on the short end.”

The Sailors appeared as if they would make short work of the

Orange League runners-up, exploding for two big-play touchdowns in

the first quarter, then executing a methodical 12-play touchdown

drive to earn a 21-point cushion just more than 15 minutes elapsed in

the playoff opener.

Senior tailback Dartangan Johnson, who finished with a season-high

177 rushing yards on 24 carries, changed direction and turned the

corner for a 70-yard touchdown jaunt on the second play of Harbor’s

second possession. Joel Walker booted the first of his four

conversion kicks and the home crowd was buzzing with 5:49 left in the

first period.

After Valencia went three-and-out, Harbor needed just one play to

find the end zone, as McDonald lofted a strike to Spencer Link, who

got behind the Valencia secondary, for a 45-yard TD bomb.

Valencia punted for the third time in the opening quarter after

the ensuing kickoff and six Johnson runs, combined with a 29-yard

pass from McDonald to Mike Toole, helped Harbor move in position to

expand its lead. McDonald flipped to Johnson, whom he had just faked

the handoff to off the right side, for a 4-yard touchdown pass that

gave Newport Harbor a seemingly comfortable 21-point advantage.

Valencia fumbled the ball away on the third play of its ensuing

possession and, with just 22 offensive yards to the Tars’ 257 at that

point, appeared ready to play out the string as it regained

possession on its own 10 after a Newport punt.

But 5-foot-8 sophomore running back Rylon Thomas, who finished

with 183 rushing yards, started shuffling, then sprinting through

holes created by the Tigers’ zone blocking schemes. And Lajkowicz,

who completed 10 of 15 for 112 yards and three TDs, kept throwing

strikes to help the Tigers drive 90 yards in 15 plays to pull to

within 21-7 and salvage some momentum before halftime.

Thomas scored on a 33-yard run to cap Valencia’s first second-half

possession and Dan Desacola, who caught two TD passes, returned a

punt 59 yards make it 21-21.

Harbor amassed 419 yards total offense, to Valencia’s 345, and

Harbor won the turnover battle, 2-1.