Battle arrives at bay

Rick Devereux

In the annual Battle of the Bay, only a small body of water featuring

the largest bird estuary between Santa Barbara and Mexico -- the Back

Bay -- separates the Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor high school

football programs.

But, while many of tonight’s contestants have played with or

against each other since their junior days, it’s business as usual on

one side and a lot of bragging rights at stake for the other.

The Sailors hold a 30-12 overall edge in the series, including a

28-21 win in the 1992 CIF Southern Section Division IV semifinals.

This year’s matchup is expected to be one of the tightest contests

ever, with both teams sporting a strong and balanced roster.

Newport Harbor (2-0) is ranked No. 1 in Division VI and Corona del

Mar is ranked No. 4 in Division IX.

“It’s hard to tell what to expect,” CdM Coach Dick Freeman said.

“I think it will be a good game. We will be able to hang with them.

We stress it’s just another game to the players, but we’ll be ready

for [Newport Harbor].”

The Sailor coaching staff is similarly trying to tone down any

pre-game trash talking.

“It wouldn’t be fair to our kids if we try to prepare any more for

this game as opposed to any other game,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff

Brinkley said. “We know the kids will know each other because a lot

of them grew up together and played together as kids, but we treat it

as just another game.”

The Sea Kings do seem a little more preoccupied with beating

Newport Harbor than the Sailors are with beating Corona del Mar.

“It’s nice having the atmosphere there is around the Newport

game,” Freeman said. “It’s something we don’t have a lot. We get to

our game and we don’t have a band. It just adds to the pageantry of

the game.”

For Newport Harbor, the atmosphere is almost taken for granted.

But winning creates the atmosphere.

“We try to play every game the same,” Brinkley said. “We approach

these things one at a time. You can’t over emphasize any game over

another or it catches up with you. If you try to say one game is more

important, what happens if you loose? Is the whole season lost? And

how do you get the team ready for the next game? Success is being

consistent, game-in and game-out.”

Freeman, who has beaten Newport Harbor once in nine games,

realizes the type of team Brinkley puts out on the field.

“Against Newport, if you’re planning to just run the ball, it can

get ugly,” Freeman said. “They run a seven-man front. We need to pass

against Newport at some time, because it will be a tough chore just

pounding them.”