Aztecs crush Sailors

For a photo gallery of this game, click here.

PLACENTIA — The helicopter landed at midfield, stirring the crowd as it shook the stadium at halftime. Newport Harbor High was not nearby, but it desperately needed its offense to be rescued.

Too bad the helicopter was for Esperanza’s homecoming festivities.

The Sailors came to Esperanza’s turf, Valencia High, trying to show that last year’s upset against the Aztecs in their return to the Sunset League was no fluke.

In four quarters Friday, the Aztecs demonstrated why they’re still unbeaten and the reigning league champs. The defense clamped down, stuffing everything the Sailors ran, threw, and even punted, coming away with a 28-7 dominating victory Friday night.

The only time Newport Harbor (5-2, 1-1) got an extra step was at the end, when players bolted for the bus. One player, staying behind, quarterback Andrew McDonald, still appeared shaken. A couple of times the junior lost his breath.

“We really couldn’t do anything offensively,” said McDonald, who threw for 73 yards and an interception on 6-of-18 passing.

The Aztecs (7-0, 2-0), ranked No. 10 in CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division, pressured McDonald throughout, sacking him three times, after stopping Newport Harbor’s best weapon of a year ago, running back Ben Frazier. The lanes never opened up for Frazier, making him feel like he was stuck in a grocery store on a busy day with only one register open.

No passing through for anyone with a Sailors’ uniform as Newport Harbor had only two first downs heading into the fourth quarter. By that time, the Aztecs led by 21, with their two running backs, Jared Moore and Reid Williams, closing in on 131 yards and 88 yards, respectively, each carrying the ball 21 times and combining for three TDs.

Quarterback Sean McDonald also ran, gaining 90 yards, but he was responsible for directing the deceptive wing-T offense, which ran the ball down Newport Harbor’s throat and chewed a lot of time off the clock.

Frazier, like the rest of the offense, could just observe from the sideline. He finished with zero yards. Twelve times he ran, getting tackled for losses five times, two went for no gain. This after the senior last year ran for 119 yards and one touchdown in the Sailors’ 21-13 win at home against Esperanza.

Coach Jeff Brinkley called it Frazier’s best game of his career. As for Friday’s, Frazier’s facial expression said it all. A frown. The other two times Frazier finished with zeroes he had good reasons. He missed both games with an injured knee.

“They changed up their defense, a lot more movement,” said Frazier of the Aztecs using three-man fronts, with their four linebackers attacking the line, run or pass, it didn’t matter because they could.

This time the conditions weren’t slippery, muddy like they were in last year’s matchup due to rain. From the start, Esperanza’s defense took control. The only touchdown it gave up came when Moore dropped a toss to the left. Newport Harbor linebacker Cecil Whiteside picked up the loose ball. The sophomore darted to the left, finding the open field to score on a 55-yard fumble return to actually give the Sailors a 7-5 lead late in the first quarter.

The Sailors looked as though they might go on the offensive. Safety Henry Pyle intercepted a halfback pass by Moore. The offense finally got its first down, taking just over a quarter as McDonald hit Whiteside for a 24-yard pass that put Newport Harbor on Esperanza’s 42. It would be the last time until the fourth that Newport Harbor moved into Esperanza’s territory.

The offense stalled, Frazier getting dropped for a seven-yard loss and McDonald sacked, forcing a punt. This time Dillan Freiberg got it off. On the opening possession, now that’s a different story. With Newport Harbor forced to punt, Esperanza’s Brennan Gray shot through the line and blocked the punt that rolled to the back of the end zone for a safety. Sort of a preview of what fans expected to see during the halftime show, where fireworks shook the stadium before the helicopter.

It was the Sailors who were rattled, and when they needed help, the helicopter had already flown away. Moore knew Newport Harbor was in trouble.

“We just wanted to come out and get some payback,” he said.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.

FIRST QUARTER

Esp – Safety: punt blocked out of end zone, 10:54

Esp – Nabipur FG 26, 5:13

NH – Whiteside 55 fumble return (Freiberg kick), 2:49

SECOND QUARTER

Esp – Moore 53 run (run failed), 4:54

Esp – Nabipur FG 30, 0:00

THIRD QUARTER

Esp – Williams 1 run (Nabipur kick), :32.1

FOURTH QUARTER

Esp – Williams 1 run (Nabipur kick), 5:11

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

NH – A. McDonald, 6-8; Green, 1-8; Frazier, 12-0; Miller, 1-0; Helfrich, 1-minus 1.

Esp – Moore, 21-131, 1 TD; S. McDonald, 14-90; Williams, 21-88, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

NH – A. Mc Donald, 6-18-1, 73.

Esp – S. McDonald, 2-6-0, 20; Moore, 0-1-1, 0.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

NH – Whiteside, 2-35; Green, 3-34; Lyon, 1-4.

Esp – Moore, 2-20.