Sailors roll into quarters

Rick Devereux

The Newport Harbor High football team is a lot like the Mississippi

River.

It just keeps rolling along.

The host Sailors (10-0-1) defeated El Dorado, 35-10, Friday night at Davidson Field in the first round of the CIF Southern Section

Division VI playoffs. The win was the fifth straight for the Tars and

the first playoff victory since a 36-25 quarterfinal win over

Cerritos in 2001.

Newport, the No. 2 seed, will play host to Charter Oak (8-3), a

37-22 winner over Kennedy Friday, in the quarterfinals Nov. 26.

Three touchdowns by Alex Orth and a game-high 163 rushing yards by

junior Ryan Rippon sealed the victory over the Golden Hawks.

“We knew Ryan could run the ball,” Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “He

probably would have been our starting tailback if he didn’t get

hurt.”

Rippon suffered ligament damage to his right knee before the

season started and sat out the first six games before seeing limited

action.

Trevor Theriot, who has amassed 1,117 rushing yards counting the

34 against El Dorado, left the game early in the first quarter after

injuring his ankle while being tackled.

“It was tweaked a little when I got tackled from behind,” he said.

“I’ll be fine.”

The real worry was if the Sailors would be fine without Theriot

providing a rushing threat. Those doubts were soon laid to rest when

Rippon gained 40 yards on his first four carries.

But Newport Harbor had difficulty converting drives into

touchdowns in the first quarter. The two Sailor series ended on

turnovers on downs after failing to convert fourth-and-short

attempts.

“It was like pulling teeth trying to get a score in the first

quarter,” Brinkley said. “I was wondering what we were going to have

to do to get into the endzone.”

The defense provided Newport with a 7-0 cushion to start the game

when end Saami Khalifian scooped up a loose ball and trotted 41-yards

for a touchdown on El Dorado’s fourth play from scrimmage.

“That’s got to be the best way to start CIF,” Khalifian said. “I

picked up the ball and started to run. When I turned around, all I

saw were blue jerseys with me. It was great.”

The fumble occurred when the Golden Hawks quarterback pitched the

ball on an option play but there was no running back to receive the

pitch.

“I heard the quarterback yell, ‘Oh [shoot], and I just got the

ball and started running,” Khalifian said.

The offense finally got on track in the second quarter, putting

together a 63-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard dive by Rippon. The

play was set up by a 39-yard post play from quarterback Kasey Peters

to Spencer Link.

“[El Dorado] was putting seven and eight guys in the box to try to

stop the run. They were just daring us to throw it,” Brinkley said.

The Sailors regained possession after a three-and-out by El

Dorado. Peters connected with Link for 25 yards to advance the ball

to the 50-yardline, and on the following play, Peters hit a wide-open

Orth on a post pattern for a score.

“[El Dorado’s] safety was giving run support,” Peters said. “We

ran a play action and he bit on the run. I hit Alex and he had the

whole field to himself.”

Khalifian recovered another botched option pitch giving Newport

the ball on the Golden Hawks 23.

Five plays later, Orth made a fine diving catch on an out pattern

for a7-yard score to put the Sailors up 28-3 at the half.

Orth finished with three receptions for 67 yards. Link was the

game’s leading receiver with seven catches for 106 yards. Peters was

efficient, completing 11 of his 18 attempts for 177 yards.

Orth scored his third touchdown of the day midway through the

third quarter when he returned an interception 21 yards for a

touchdown.

The Golden Hawks scored on a 2-yard run by quarterback Shaun Lane

with 2:32 left. Newport ran out the clock after returning the ensuing

kickoff 42 yards.