Inspired Sailors blow out Irvine

Barry Faulkner

The history of the football rivalry between Irvine High and Newport

Harbor is storied and substantial.

But it was recent history -- made within 24 hours, in fact -- that

proved to be the primary motivation behind the Sailors’ 35-0 Sea View

League victory Saturday night at Irvine High.

“I was a little concerned that the break between playing Thursday

(Oct. 21) and [Oct. 30] would be too big of a break for us,” Newport

Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said after Saturday’s triumph. “But, even

before [Friday] night’s game between Aliso Niguel and Foothill [an

Aliso victory that left the Sailors alone atop the league standings],

I thought an Aliso win would really motivate our guys. It was nice to

read the paper this morning [of Aliso’s 28-27 win] and know things

have come around to where we control our own destiny [in pursuit of

the league title].”

The Sailors (7-0-1, 2-0-1 in league), ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern

Section Division VI, left nothing to chance against the Vaqueros

(3-5, 1-3).

Newport Harbor scored on its first three possessions to build a

21-0 lead and held Irvine, which had won four of the previous five

meetings in the notable series, including two straight, without a

first down until 9:47 remained in the third quarter.

The Sailors scored on their first third-quarter possession, on a

1-yard Peters’ sneak, and used the fourth quarter to let the reserves

have their time in the spotlight.

The win leaves Newport one-half game ahead of Aliso Niguel and one

full game ahead of Foothill with two league games remaining. The Tars

can claim their fourth league championship in Brinkley’s 19 seasons

at the helm with wins over Laguna Hills (0-8, 0-3) Friday and

Woodbridge (4-3-1, 2-1) on Nov. 11.

It would be the Sailors’ first league title since 2001.

“I was at the [Aliso-Foothill] game with a lot of my teammates and

we left there knowing we can control our own destiny,” Newport Harbor

senior running back Ryan Rippon said.

Rippon, who saw his most substantial action since missing the

first six games with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right

knee, rushed for 61 yards on nine carries to help the visitors more

than triple Irvine’s rushing yards (253 to 79).

Newport senior tailback Trevor Theriot, converted from fullback to

replace Rippon, collected 105 yards on 20 carries, all before

halftime. His 1-yard run produced the Sailors’ second touchdown.

Theriot moved to 768 rushing yards for the season.

Newport senior quarterback Kasey Peters completed 10 of 18 for 120 yards and two TDs. His first scoring toss, a 30-yard strike to senior

Spencer Link, capped an eight-play, 72-yard drive with the opening

kickoff.

Theriot’s TD polished off a 14-play, 75-yard procession, on which

Irvine Coach Terry Henigan called two timeouts to regroup his

defense.

After Theriot recovered the first of three lost Irvine fumbles at

the Vaqueros’ 42-yard line, Peters’ 7-yard touchdown pass to

sophomore James Coder completed the six-play drive.

Travis Duffield kicked the third of his five conversions to make

it 21-0 with 9:10 left before halftime.

The Sailors’ stifling defense, including starting ends Sean Lowe

and Saami Khalifian, tackles Kaiona Kalama-Dutro and Ryan Uhl,

linebackers Theriot, Thomas Martin and Greg Miner, cornerbacks Matt

Erickson and Grant Casserly, as well as safeties Alex Orth and Tom

Jackson, held Irvine to 28 yards total offense before intermission.

The Vaqueros produced 35% of their 122 offensive yards on Chris

Sykes’ 43-yard run that garnered their initial first down.

Of Irvine’s 23 rushing attempts, including two sacks, the Vaqueros

were held to no more than 3 yards 16 times. Other than Sykes’ big

run, Irvine had no running plays gain more than 9 yards and only one

Vaquero pass completion (a 14-yarder) produced more than 7.

Uhl and Kalama-Dutro produced sacks, while Rowe, Khalifian,

Theriot, Martin and Miner, who left with an injured left knee late in

the second quarter, made stops at or behind the line.

Martin added 56 rushing yards to the offensive dominance, keyed by

starting tackles Steve Joslin and Charles Schultz, guards Joseph

Flores and Efrain Casto, as well as center Chris Taylor and tight end

Miner.

Brinkley said Miner’s injury was not as bad as initially thought

and he could be back within a week.

Newport sophomore Kevin Williams finalized the scoring with a

3-yard quarterback sneak.