Sailors’ Calabrese in command in trenches

The Newport Harbor High football depth chart lists Mike Calabrese as a starting defensive tackle. But to those in the Sailors’ program, he is more accurately known as the alpha male.

As such, he is the individual whom others follow and defer to.

Those in the stands who watch Newport Harbor games this season may also need only follow the 6-foot-1, 224-pound senior, whose path invariably bisects with the ballcarrier.

Calabrese, who earned All-CIF Southern Section Division VI laurels as a junior for the CIF Division VI champion Sailors, said he was eager to take a stronger leadership role as a senior this season.

“I wanted to prove myself again this year,” Calabrese said.

Based on dominant season-opening performance in the Sailors’ 20-0 nonleague win at Aliso Niguel on Friday, the Daily Pilot Football Player of the Week should accomplish that goal.

“If he plays like that every week, we’re going to have a pretty good chance of winning,” Newport Harbor Defensive Coordinator Tony Ciarelli said. “He was just way too physical for [the Wolverines]. He’s a strong, physical guy with good speed for the position he’s playing. And he’s also a very tenacious football player. He likes to show he is the alpha male. He wants to be that guy out there.”

Calabrese, as quiet as he is explosive, has grown into being the bully.

“In eighth grade, I weighed 150 pounds,” said Calabrese, still about 30 or 40 pounds lighter than most Division I colleges prefer their defensive linemen. “By my freshman season, I was up to 190 pounds. But that freshman year was a struggle.”

Calabrese started on the defensive line as a freshman, then continued to develop as a sophomore competing with the junior varsity. As a varsity starter last season, he tied for the team lead with seven sacks and collected 47 tackles.

“I want to lead the Sunset League in sacks this year,” said Calbrese, who had two sacks, two additional tackles for losses, forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles to help the Tars record their first season-opening shutout since 1992.

“The guy who led the league last year had 22, so I know I need to pick it up a little.”

Quick and powerful, Calabrese typically picks up speed, as well as opposing blockers, on his way to the opponent’s backfield.

“He made one play [against Aliso] that was very impressive,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “He was getting off the ball so quickly, when they tried to pull the guard [in front of Calabrese], he was in the backfield and on the quarterback before he could hand the ball off. He forced the quarterback to fumble and he came up with the ball.”

Calabrese said he relies on strength more than quickness, but his coaches say he has plenty of both.

“I like to bull rush straight through guys,” Calabrese said. “But I know there are some moves I will need to learn to mix things up.”

Brinkley said Calabrese is among the team’s strongest players — Calabrese has bench pressed 325 pounds and squatted 360. But it’s his initial explosion from his three-point stance that allows him to win most of his battles in the trenches.

“He’s extremely quick off the ball,” Brinkley said. “That’s something that [opposing coordinators and linemen] don’t really see until game night.”

Ciarelli said Aliso tried to double-team Calabrese, and even altered its blocking schemes as the game progressed, in an effort to slow down the Sailors standout.

“It just didn’t work,” Ciarelli said.

Calabrese said he has worked hard to improve in the offseason and said he wants to earn a college scholarship.

“I think I could hold my own in college,” Calabrese said.

Ciarelli said Calabrese’s dominance at this level should afford him the chance to show what he can do at the next level.

“If he keeps playing like he’s playing, someone [from a college program] is going to have to look at him,” Ciarelli said.

For now, Newport Harbor rooters may not want to take their eyes off of him.

MIKE CALABRESE

Born: Feb, 16, 1989

Hometown: Newport Beach

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 224

Position: Defensive tackle

Coach: Jeff Brinkley

Favorite food: Mostacholi

Favorite movie: “Scarface”

Favorite athletic moment: “Winning CIF [Southern Section Division VI] last year.”

Week in review: He was in on six tackles, including two sacks and two others for losses. He caused two fumbles and recovered two to help the Sailors blank Aliso Niguel, 20-0, Friday.