Henigan relishes rivalry

BARRY FAULKNER

After the latest in a long line of classic showdowns with Newport

Harbor High, Irvine football coach Terry Henigan shook hands with

Sailor coaches, then congratulated as many Sailor players as he could

on their supreme effort.

Then, soon after he began walking toward his victorious team in

the east end zone at Newport Harbor’s Davidson Field Friday night, he

thought quickly of his wife. He turned sharply toward the visiting

stands to find her among the Vaquero supporters still streaming onto

the field after the 22-20 Sea View League thriller.

He quickly spotted her and they shared a short celebratory kiss.

But if Henigan has a football soul mate, it very well may be

Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley, with whom he shares vast mutual

respect, an intense and competitive rivalry, and five of the last 11

CIF Southern Section titles in the two schools’ division.

“We beat a great football program tonight,” Henigan said after

Newport’s valiant fourth-quarter comeback attempt fell short. “Every

time we play Newport, our players, staff, fans and parents know it’s

going to be a battle. We love playing them, we really do. Win, lose,

or draw, it’s just fun.”

While Henigan and Brinkley may differ when it comes to schemes,

they share many of the game’s basic philosophies. Both demand respect

for the opponent, a selfless devotion to team and a hearty contempt

for any individual who draws attention to himself on the field, no

matter how great his performance.

They also share the same intense, determined sideline scowl; the

one officials dread and players seem to consistently strive to

transform to a grin. Both are relatively old-school conservative and

both demand and inspire the type of toughness and hard work best

recognized by those who have savored the game’s brutal beauty

firsthand.

It began, Henigan said in 1992, when the Vaqueros entered the Sea

View League after a long run in the South Coast League, culminated by

a CIF Division II crown in 1991.

Irvine beat the Tars twice that year, including the first of their

three meetings in a CIF championship game to win the Division IV

title.

Irvine won the Division IV title in ‘93, but Harbor captured the

Division V crown in ‘94, holding on for a dramatic 9-7 league win

over Irvine en route to a 14-0 campaign.

They met twice in 1999 and 2000, with Newport sweeping the ’99

meetings, 12-10 and 19-18.

Irvine returned the favor in 2000, with a 19-14 league win and a

14-0 title-game triumph.

After Friday’s win, Irvine leads the all-time series, 11-9, but

Henigan, in his 24th season at Irvine, is 9-6 against

Brinkley-coached Sailor units. Newport has outscored the Vaqueros,

404-385.

“Coach Brinkley and Newport Harbor is a real class act,” Henigan

said. “Tonight, it was two teams pounding on each other and you knew

it would be four quarters. It’s football the way it should be played,

without the [refuse].

“Jeff and I have so much respect for each other. We know we have

to play absolutely great football and things have to go our way for

us to be in the ballgame.

“It’s just two very classy programs. The kids help each other up,

we both just hand the ball to the referee, and go about the battle.”

Typically self-effacing, Henigan downplayed his role in Friday’s

win, directing credit to his players and assistant coaches.

“Tom Ricci calls the offense, J.C. Clark calls the defense and I

talk to the reporters,” he said.

Even more often, Henigan converses with Brinkley, typically when

league business brings them together. And, someday, when both finally

walk away from coaching, they’ll probably visit regularly about the

duels their programs waged for more than a decade.

Two old football souls united.