Newport looking to rise from ash

It’s only three days removed from when the Newport Harbor- Los Alamitos game was supposed to take place, but it still feels like an eternity.

With the Southern California wildfires making it impossible to hold normal practices, the Sailors haven’t faced an opponent in 10 days, when they fell, 28-7, to Esperanza.

Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley didn’t think it would make that much of a difference, and said the week off gave the team a chance to recover from minor dings. Still, this was the first time he could remember practices being called off for such a long time because of air quality concerns.

“It might not have been that bad of a thing for us,” Brinkley said. “It’s given us a week to heal up. A week off from hitting doesn’t hurt.

“Everybody’s in the same boat. Like I told the kids, it’s how productive you can be in that environment. Our productivity was better than most people. I think the kids had good focus.”

Both the Trinity and Pacific Coast leagues opted to cancel Friday games. The Pacific Coast League cited safety concerns about making up games in a short period of time after not being able to hold normal practices, complete with pads and hitting.

But Brinkley was unphased.

“Our kids are in great shape,” he said. “Their strength levels are up. If it was more of an extended time period, it might start having more of an impact, but it’s just a little recovery period. The injury thing won’t be any different than it would be on a normal night.”

Esperanza and Los Alamitos (6-1 overall) are currently tied for first place in the Sunset League with 2-0 records.

Newport Harbor (5-2 overall) and Edison follow, tied for second, both 1-1 in league. Marina and Fountain Valley (0-2) are still winless.

Last season, losses to Los Alamitos and Edison symied the Sailors’ chances of making the playoffs, so for Brinkley and the Sailors, the 7 p.m. game at Newport Harbor provides as much pressure as a playoff atmosphere. The top three teams in the league move on to the playoffs.

“They’re all must-win in this league,” Brinkley said. “This game has huge playoff implications and they know it and we know it. It’s a pivotal game on both our schedules.”

The Tars will look to shut down the Griffins’ offense built around junior quarterback Clark Evans, who poses a threat both with his arm and his legs.

With an empty backfield, “They’ll stretch the field they’ll make you defend the whole field,” Brinkley said.

He’s favored wide receivers Darryl Jenkins (41 catches for 648 yards, three touchdowns) and Paul Richardson (17 catches for 360 yards, four touchdowns). Evans boasted 158 rushing yards against Fountain Valley Oct. 18, and still threw for 163 yards and a touchdown.

With two games left in the regular season against Marina and Edison, the Sailors are looking to post a spoiler, similar to last season’s win over Esperanza, which halted a seven-game win streak.

“You need to go out and have success,” Brinkley said. “If you want to get in the playoffs, you’ve got to go out and take care of business. We have one loss, so it becomes even more important that we go out and play well.”

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at soraya.mcdonald@latimes.com.