Big win for long gray line

Rick Devereux

The Thanksgiving tradition for the Newport Harbor High football team

is something most players dream about even before they reach the

varsity level.

If the Sailors (11-0-1) reach the quarterfinals of the CIF

Southern Section Division VI playoffs, the team will practice on

Thanksgiving morning and alumni are invited to attend. After the

practice, the former players talk to the current batch of Sailors to

give advice and motivation.

Coach Jeff Brinkley said 38 former players showed up Thursday

morning. The practice had an impact on the players during Friday’s

14-7 win over Charter Oak (8-4).

“That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” senior defensive

tackle Kaiona Kalama-Dutro said. “It was something I waited for --

for four years.”

Senior defensive end Saami Khalifian said, “It was the gnarliest

feeling. It pumped me up. I was thinking about that the whole game.”

The adrenaline and sense of responsibility to not let down the

current team, as well as the alumni, might have resulted in game-day

jitters.

“[Charter Oak] played well defensively, but we never got in sync

offensively,” Brinkley said. “Our players might have been pressing a

little bit and didn’t let the game come to them.”

The offense gained 299 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per play.

Newport averaged 466.7 yards on offense and 8.6 yards per play the

previous three games.

The Tars were also penalized five times on offense, including four

illegal motion infractions.

“One thing we certainly want to clean up is the illegal procedure

penalties,” Brinkley said. “That is really uncharacteristic of us.”

Playoff pressure, the sense of history from the alumni visits on

Thanksgiving and this season’s last home game combined to weigh on

the minds of the seniors.

“It feels great to win like this,” said Khalifian, who sealed the

victory with a fourth-quarter sack. “I did not want to lose [Friday]

and have to say goodbye to my brothers. The seniors are my brothers.”

Senior wide receiver/kick returner Spencer Link said, “[The

Thanksgiving practice] is a huge tradition. That was a goal of the

senior class ever since we were freshmen.”

Link, who leads the team with 33 receptions for 413 yards, had one

catch for 7 yards against Charter Oak.

“I don’t care [how many catches I have],” Link said. “A win is a

win and I feel lucky to be out here with my friends. All of the

seniors have done a great job.”

The No. 2-seeded Sailors will play No. 3 seed Mayfair (11-1) at

Cerritos College Friday in the semifinals after the Monsoons defeated

Tustin, 28-21, in another quarterfinal Friday.

It is the eighth time since 1992 that Brinkley has led a team into

the semifinals. He won five of those games and took the division

title twice.

The most recent trip to the semifinals was a 13-10 loss to La Mirada in 2001. The Sailors beat La Mirada, 35-16, in the semifinals

the year before, but lost to Irvine, 14-0, in the final.

The winner of Friday’s game will face the winner between

top-seeded Orange Lutheran (11-1) and No. 4-seeded Villa Park (11-1).