Deep playoff run for Tars?

Rick Devereux

All the signs are pointing in the right direction for a long CIF

Southern Section Division VI playoff run by the Newport Harbor High

football team.

The Sailors (9-0-1) are the Sea View League champions and host El

Dorado in a first-round matchup at 7 p.m. Friday.

The last time Newport finished the regular season undefeated --

a 9-0-1 run in 1999 -- the Tars finished the campaign as the

Division VI champions. That was also the last time the Sailors opened

the playoffs against El Dorado.

Coach Jeff Brinkley led Newport Harbor to league titles in 1994,

1999 and 2001. The Sailors won the Division V crown in 1994, the

Division VI title in 1999 and advanced to the semifinals in 2001.

“It’s nice to have the league championship,” Brinkley said. “We

have some momentum heading into the playoffs. We have to take

advantage of the opportunity that is in front of us.”

The Sailors were able to take advantage of most opportunities that

presented themselves during the regular season. Newport Harbor has

trailed a total of six quarters this fall.

Trevor Theriot led the team with 1,083 rushing yards and seven

touchdowns on 163 carries, averaging more than 6.6 yards per attempt.

Kasey Peters was consistent all year, completing 61.7 % of his

passes. He threw for 1,331 yards and 17 touchdowns with just six

interceptions.

Spencer Link has a team-high 32 receptions for 406 yards and his

five touchdown catches are tied for the most on the team.

Theriot, Peters, Link and the rest of the Newport Harbor offense,

which averages 32.3 points per contest, will face a Golden Hawks’

defense that has allowed 19.4 points per game. El Dorado lines up

four defensive linemen and three linebackers.

“In a couple of games they have come out blitzing,” Brinkley said.

“But there have been times when they were pretty vanilla with nothing

fancy on defense.”

The Sailors defense has not been fancy, just consistently good.

The Tars have almost outscored opponents in the second quarter

alone, racking up 91 points in that frame, while the defense has

allowed 95 points throughout the season.

Newport Harbor has the fourth stingiest defense in Division VI.

Opponents have been held to 9.5 points per game. Only Orange Lutheran

(7.4), Mayfair (7.8) and Valencia (9.0) have lower averages.

Two teams, Corona del Mar and Woodbridge, have scored more than

once in a quarter.

Newport has scored more than three times in a quarter on three

occasions, including 28 points in the second quarter and 21 points in

the fourth quarter against Woodbridge last week.

“Our guys believe in what they can do,” Brinkley said. “We realize

this is another game that will take a lot of effort and focus in

order to win.”

The Sailors will face an El Dorado offense that has averaged 20.4

points per game. The Golden Hawks have rushed for close to 1,400

yards using mostly an option.

“The option means we need to be disciplined on defense,” Brinkley

said. “It’s basic assignment football. You need to take care of your

assignment.”