Tars gets in tune with a 24-0 win

MANHATTAN BEACH — It was like the last two weeks never happened.

The Newport Harbor High football team entered Friday’s contest with a two-game losing streak, but played like its first two games of the season in a 24-0 nonleague victory over Mira Costa of Manhattanb Beach, ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern Section’s Western Division.

The turnovers and big plays that had plagued the Sailors over the previous two games, gone. Newport Harbor allowed one run to crack double digits, a 10-yarder early in the game.

And the Sailors (3-2) did not lose the ball after coughing it up nine times in the past two games.

“That was the biggest key,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “We shot ourselves in the foot the past two games. It was really important to take care of the ball.”

Like the first two games of the season, the defense was stifling, posting its third shutout while holding the Mustangs to 31 rushing yards on 21 carries. Mira Costa (3-2) never entered the red zone, its deepest penetration the 27-yard line on its second drive.

Senior defensive tackle Mike Calabrese led the charge on defense with two solo tackles for no gain and two quarterback pressures. He also assisted on two sacks.

“We were just focused,” Calabrese said. “We wanted to play with more enthusiasm. We play as a team on the defense.”

Calabrese also forced a turnover, a fumble, but was not happy about the play because it was the one time the running back got past him when he burst into the backfield.

“I just tried to stretch as far as I could,” said Calabrese of the one-armed strip.

The offense was efficient, both on the ground and through the air. Ben Frazier carried the ball 27 times for 129 yards.

“We got a lot of mileage out of him tonight,” Brinkley said.

Frazier racked up 97 yards on 16 carries in the first half.

“We’ve got to get this back on track,” Frazier said. “We came out strong. I’m not much to take the credit. The offensive line opened up huge holes and I just ran through them. And the fullback [Charles Vickery] blocked well.”

The offensive line of Nathan Castillo, Jerry Whitney, Spencer Smith, Brian Beaudette and Frank Muscatello regularly pushed the defensive line two yards off the ball by the time Frazier received the handoff.

“The offensive line is a team sport,” the 6-foot-2, 382-pound Muscatello said. “Last week, we were slow and this week we came out fast and shut them out.”

Quarterback Kevin Williams was the beneficiary of extra time in the pocket to pick apart the defense. He took advantage, completing 10 of 17 passes for 177 yards and two TDs. Six of his passes went for 20 yards or more.

Williams, who came in after the first series, was confident he would perform as well as he did.

“I have to be honest,” Williams said. “We came in having to get a win. Everyone was up. Now, we’re ready to play some [Pac-5] Division football.”

The Sailors now start play in the Sunset League.

“This will give us some momentum going into the Sunset League,” Brinkley said. “I think this will help our confidence.”

Frazier got the team started in the first quarter. He ran the ball five straight times for 38 yards. Then the Sailors switched to pass and Williams hit receiver Madison Morrell on a seam route for 26 yards and Coby Peterson on a receiver screen for a 20-yard TD.

Williams also connected with Brice Stillman on a 24-yard TD.

“We had good ball control on offense,” Brinkley said. “We’re not used to losing many games. Everyone was disappointed. We were really trying to develop some momentum going into the Sunset League.”