Sailors keep on grinding

RICK DEVEREUX

Newport Harbor High football Coach Jeff Brinkley doesn’t have his

players run wind sprints after practice. He doesn’t think it’s

necessary.

“If we practice right, we don’t need to condition,” he said. “I

don’t want that hanging over their heads during practice. If we

hustle during practice, they get their conditioning that way.”

In a shortened Monday practice leading up to the Battle of the Bay

Thursday against Corona del Mar (3-0), the Sailors ran from one drill

to the next with little wasted time in between.

“We want to get as close to a game situation as possible for these

guys,” Brinkley said. “It’s just like how colleges practice.”

A normal Monday practice -- when the game is on a Friday -- starts

with the team running the stadium bleachers. Then the team lifts

weights. And then the team takes to the field to run plays and study

what the opponents will run, all with light hitting to ensure the

assignments are learned.

But this Monday is a little skewed. No stadium run. A 15-20 minute

film session. Weights. Practice with full pads and heavy contact.

One thing remains constant: Every Monday the players get a

scouting report.

“I think the scouting report is very important to the players,”

Brinkley said. “I’ve always taken pride in the quality of our

scouting reports.”

The report has numerous “Keys to victory” for the special teams,

offense and defense. To coincide with the attitude of extra effort

Brinkley expects in practice, all three areas have a common key to

victory: play harder.

The players are surrounded by reminders that hard work and effort

will produce results. The weight room has framed articles detailing

winning Newport Harbor teams from the past. Painted on one wall is

“Preparation and execution are the keys to victory and success.”

Along the bottom of the scouting report is written, “Few burdens are

heavy when everyone lifts.” And if the players get tired of

inspiration phrases, all they have to do is look at the coach.

With this year’s team starting 2-0, Brinkley is now 154-63-2 with

the Sailors, an impressive .708 winning percentage. He has had only

two seasons under .500 and one more at .500 in his 19 years in

charge.

One key to Brinkley’s success is international lifts, such as the

clean and jerk.

“Those are very athletic lifts that create explosiveness,” he

said. “Part of [our success] is we are fortunate enough to have great

strength and conditioning coaches [Mike Bargas and Tony Ciarelli].”

Ciarelli is also the defensive coordinator for Newport. He has

been with the team since 2001, following a four-year stint as the

head coach at Huntington Beach, and was the defensive coordinator

with the Sailors from 1989-96.

Following the first half of practice Monday, which focused on

defense, Ciarelli said it was the best defensive practice he has seen

since his return to Newport.

It is understandable why he is happy. Thomas Martin, the All-Sea

View League linebacker who sat out the first two games with stomach

problems, was on the field making plays and firing up his teammates.

Having Martin back helps the offense and defense. Martin will play

middle linebacker. Trevor Theriot, who has been playing inside as

Martin’s replacement, will move to his more natural outside position.