Newport Harbor still believes

For the better part of two decades, the high school football teams from Newport Harbor High and Los Alamitos have put consistent excellence on a public stage.

Tonight, two of the top public-school programs in Orange County put their reputations, as well as a share of the Sunset League lead, on the line in a league clash that kicks off at 7 at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

“Los Al is used to winning, and so are we,” said Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley, who shares a mutual respect for a Los Al program guided by John Barnes, the winningest coach in county history.

Until tonight, that respect has been from afar, as the two schools have not met since 1975.

The Griffins (5-1, 1-0 in league), ranked No. 10 in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division, are among those perennially favored to claim the Sunset League crown.

The same is true of then-No. 5-ranked Esperanza (now No. 8), which the unranked Sailors stunned with a 21-13 upset victory last week.

Newport Harbor (4-2, 1-0), last year’s CIF Division VI champion, which had appeared in seven CIF title games in its previous 14 seasons, all in Divisions IV, V and VI, will fill the underdog role once again against Los Al.

“No one believed we could win [against Esperanza], but us,” Newport Harbor senior middle linebacker Nick Frazier said.

There are significantly more believers this week, but it will take more than conviction to top Barnes’ squad, which sustained its lone defeat this season against Orange Lutheran.

The Griffins bounced back from that setback with two straight victories.

Last week, they edged Fountain Valley, 7-6, to open league.

Los Al and Newport Harbor share a common opponent this season. The Griffins handled Dana Hills, 35-7, two weeks before the Dolphins knocked off the Sailors, 19-10.

“Like all these guys in the Sunset League, Los Al is a traditionally strong program and [the Griffins] believe they are going to win,” Brinkley said.

Such belief could be shaken by the availability of Los Alamitos tailback Chris Soto.

Soto collected 852 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 92 carries, through five games. But Brinkley said Soto did not play in a 7-6 league-opening triumph over Fountain Valley last week.

If Soto is out of the lineup, Los Alamitos will rely more heavily upon sophomore quarterback Clark Evans.

“He’s a good player who is going to be a great player by the time he leaves there,” Brinkley said of the 6-foot-4, 210-pound transfer from Santa Margarita.

Evans has thrown for 600 yards and nine touchdowns, completing 44 of 84 passes with three interceptions. He has also rushed for 244 yards and four TDs on 40 carries.

Los Al is averaging more than 31 points per game, but Brinkley believes its defense may be the team’s best unit.

“People have traditionally looked at them as an offensive power, but, with the exception of Orange Lutheran [a 38-27 winner], they haven’t given up many points,” Brinkley said.

The other five Los Al opponents have produced just 34 points this season.

Newport Harbor, however, has also impressed with its defense, which has yielded just 46 points and five touchdowns in its six games.

The Sailors have blanked Aliso Niguel, Irvine and Mira Costa and surrendered just 13 points to an Esperanza unit that came in averaging more than 44 points per contest.

“It has been very impressive what our defense has been able to do every week,” Brinkley said. “And I like the fact that we’ve been so physical on defense.”

Frazier, whose 55 tackles are more than twice as many as the team’s second most productive tackler, is a returning All-CIF performer, as is senior tackle Mike Calabrese, a 6-1, 224-pound menace.

Offensively, Newport Harbor has gotten the job done without a breakout star.

Junior tailback Ben Frazier has 644 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 138 carries, though his leading attribute is toughness.

He rushed for 89 yards and a TD on 19 carries last week.

Senior quarterback Kevin Williams, who took over the job after four games of alternating with Stephen Peterson, has completed 39 of 64 passes for 472 yards and three TDs. He has thrown four interceptions.

Perhaps the Sailors’ best offensive player is senior right tackle Frank Muscatello, a 6-2, 382-pound hulk whose quick feet have helped make him an all-but impenetrable force.

Both teams have a pair of talented receivers.

Newport Harbor’s senior tandem is composed of Brice Stillman (16 receptions for 264 yards and three TDs) and Jarrett Daniel (15 catches for 169 yards and one TD). Daniel, a returning All-CIF performer, has been battling a toe problem. But he had three of the Tars’ four receptions against Esperanza.

Evans’ leading targets have been Logan Flagg (15 catches for 253 yards and five TDs) and Nick Brucculeri (15 catches for 184 yards and two TDs).

The two teams have met only twice before, with each team recording a victory.