Lancers humble Sailors

Rick Devereux

Jim Morrison sang that the end was his only friend.

The end of the 2004 season was anything but friendly for the

Newport Harbor High football team as the Sailors lost, 35-6, to

Orange Lutheran in the CIF Southern Section Division VI championship

game in front of an Angel Stadium crowd of 8,204.

It was the largest defeat Newport has suffered since a 45-6 loss

at the hands of Santa Margarita in Week 7 of 1997.

“They have a very good football team,” Coach Brinkley said. “They

will probably be a Division I school the next time [the CIF realigns

the divisions].”

The Lancers, the Division VI runners-up last year, scored

touchdowns on each of their first four possessions to open up a 28-0

halftime lead.

Orange Lutheran (13-1) rushed for 283 yards on 50 carries, the

most rushing yards allowed by the Sailors this season.

Senior fullback Pat Roxas rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns

on 18 carries and sophomore quarterback Aaron Corp gained a game-high

122 rushing yards and one score on 15 carries. No team has had two

players rush for more than 100 yards against Newport in the same game

in more than four years.

“Pat is a leader,” Lutheran Coach Jim Kunau said. “That is what

Pat has done all year long.”

Roxas’ game-high 18 carries helped the Lancers control the time of

possession battle, holding onto the ball almost twice as long as

Newport, 31:58 compared to 16:02.

The Sailors (12-1-1) started the game with a spark when

quarterback Kasey Peters completed a third-and-three pass to Spencer

Link for 6 yards and a first down.

Running back Trevor Theriot then ran 16 yards around the left

tackle to move the ball to the Newport 49.

That was the only rushing first down for the Sailors.

Theriot led the team with 25 rushing yards. Newport finished with

12 rushing yards, the lowest output of the season.

“We did a good job on defense of containing their running game,”

Kunau said.

With its run game proving ineffective, Newport was forced to try

to move the ball through the air. The Lancer defense was just as

stingy, applying pressure and not letting Peters get comfortable in

the pocket.

He was sacked three times, the most this season.

“[Orange Lutheran] played well up front,” Brinkley said. “It was

nothing scheme-wise. They were a little faster and just

out-physicaled us.”

The Lancers controlled the line of scrimmage on offense, as well.

Corp was sacked once, a 4-yard loss in the third quarter by senior

end Sean Rowe. The pass protection enabled Corp to complete 11 of his

12 pass attempts for 121 yards.

“[Corp] gave us problems all day,” Brinkley said.

Corp ran the veer option offense to near perfection. He handed off

to Roxas on the dive when the middle was open, pitched to tailback

Donny Lee on the outside when defenders cheated toward Roxas and ran

the ball himself when needed.

It was apparent Newport was in for a long day when the Lancers

marched 85 yards on eight plays to open the game. Roxas capped off

the drive with a 1-yard run up the middle.

Following a 16-yard punt by Newport that was hurried after the

punter fielded a low snap, Orange Lutheran traveled 42 yards on five

plays. Lee covered the final 16 yards after he received a pitch on an

option and was able to keep his balance after being hit near the

10-yard line.

Corp capped an eight-play, 60-yard drive when he scored on a

12-yard option.

The Lancers benefited from good field position once again and

finished a seven-play, 43-yard drive on Lee’s 4-yard run.

Kicker Troy VanBlarcom, bound for USC, boomed five of his six

kickoffs into the end zone for automatic touchbacks.

“That was really huge,” Kunau said. “You hold your breath when you

face an athlete like [Newport’s] Alex Orth returning kicks.”

Orth provided a spark for the Tars to start the third quarter.

Linebackers Thomas Martin and Taylor Young converged on a

scrambling Corp and forced a fumble on Lutheran’s first possession

after intermission. Safety Tom Jackson recovered the loose ball on

the Newport 35-yard line.

Peters completed a pass to tight end Greg Miner for 23 yards to

the Lutheran 42. Two plays later Peters lofted a deep pass to Orth,

who hauled in the reception near the 15 and sped into the end zone.

The conversion kick was blocked to make it 28-6.

“Our defense played great,” Kunau said. “We gave up one play to a

great player. Orth is a great player and he made a great play.”

The score did not rattle the Lancers.

Corp led the team on a 13-play, 70-yard drive that ate up 6:26 off

the clock. Roxas punched in a 2-yard touchdown to end the drive.

The Sailors put together their own drive on the ensuing

possession.

Newport strung together 10 plays for 38 yards, but the 11th play

was an interception on the Lancers’ 6.

“That was the key to the game,” Kunau said. “That long drive we

had after their touchdown and then the interception.”