Sailors ready for next level

Jeff Brinkley never wants to be the coach who cried wolf. To that end, his conversations with recruiters over his 22 previous seasons at the helm of the Newport Harbor High football program contained zero sugar coating.

This season, however, Brinkley has had no reservations about touting more than a handful of potential college players, who happen to have remaining high school eligibility.

“Most all of our better players, colleges are looking at,” said Brinkley, whose Sailors are coming off an 8-4 season in which they reached the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division quarterfinals. “Our seniors are not only a good group on the field, but also in the classroom. I’ve told all the recruiters that they are all really good students. And our better guys have been getting letters and feelers from some schools. Those are guys like [linebacker-fullback Brandon] Kula, [quarterback Andrew] McDonald, [two-way lineman Scott] Ward, [cornerback-tailback Danny] Miller, [receiver-cornerback JB] Green, I can go right down the list.”

Senior tailback-safety Michael Helfrich, who joined Kula, McDonald, Miller and Green on the All-Newport-Mesa Dream Team last season, is another college prospect, and junior linebacker-receiver Cecil Whiteside, a starter since he was a freshman, may be the most coveted recruit to come out of Newport Harbor since current assistant coach Danny Pulido chose Oregon after setting receiving records before graduating in 1996.

With seven starters back on both sides of the ball, Brinkley and his staff are preparing the 2008 squad to extend its high school experience as long as possible. And, after being ranked No. 39 in the state by CalHiSports.com, there is reason to believe the Sailors can continue to progress in their third season in the Pac-5 Division, the premier division in the state.

Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the Tars:

Quarterback: McDonald, the son of former USC All-American and NFL veteran Paul McDonald, threw for 1,510 yards as a junior, completing 93 of 141 for 12 touchdowns with just five interceptions. And the new-and-improved version — Brinkley said he has gained 25 pounds and is throwing with more zip — is a 6-2, 185-pounder being looked at by some Pac-10 schools.

“He had a great summer, probably as good a summer as any of our guys have had,” Brinkley said. “People don’t realize he didn’t really have an off-season after his freshman and sophomore years. He broke his shoulder snowboarding after his freshman year and he broke his collarbone in the last JV game as a sophomore, so he really couldn’t lift weights in the off-season either of those years.

“I think he can play beyond this level and I think he is on a lot of [recruiters’] radar. “I think he has the potential to be one of the best guys in Orange County.”

Austin Rios, a sophomore who started on the freshman team, as well as juniors Dillan Freiberg and Jack Grace provide depth.

Running backs: Helfrich rushed for 339 yards and five touchdowns on 70 carries a year ago and at 6-0, 187 pounds, is a bigger load at tailback than he was in 2007.

His aggressiveness — Brinkley said he is probably the biggest hitter on the team from his safety spot — should give tacklers all they can handle, though an unproven offensive line needs to pave the way for his success.

The Sailors have been snake-bitten by injuries at tailback the last three seasons, so Brinkley plans to enlist others to lessen Helfrich’s load.

Miller, who like Helfrich is a returning starter in the secondary, will be asked to contribute at tailback, as will 5-6, 188-pound mighty mite Chris Gute, whom Brinkley said is, pound-for-pound, the strongest player on the team.

“[Gute] is really explosive,” Brinkley said. “He can jump up and grab the [10-foot basketball] rim. And, he has a little bit of shake, which gives us a little different dimension.”

Kula, a 6-2, 220-pound senior, is a bludgeoning blocker at fullback, a Sailors trademark, but could be spelled, if not replaced, by emerging sophomore Ryan Andrews (6-0, 208), Brinkley said.

“Kula can run and he catches the ball really well,” Brinkley said. “I’m not sure he won’t be a fullback in college.

“And Miller had a real good freshman year and has progressed in the off-season. He should be right in the mix.”

Receivers: Green, the team’s Most Valuable Player last season, returns to give the Sailors a dangerous deep threat. Daily Pilot statistics credited Green with 35 receptions for 751 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and he also rushed for two TDs.

“[Green] is a guy who can stretch the field, vertically,” Brinkley said.

Whiteside, who had 14 catches for 152 yards last season, fills a more traditional possession role, said Brinkley, who is enthusiastic about several others who round out what is expected to be a deep, productive receiving corps.

Senior Adrian Luchs (6-2, 205), senior Jason Jacobi (6-3, 198) and junior Gabe Gomez (5-10, 175) are additional options for McDonald.

“Gomez was one of the biggest surprises in the spring,” Brinkley said. “He had a great spring on both sides of the ball.”

Tight end: Senior Ned Lyon, a starter on defense, is yet another Sailor expected to handle double duty as the projected starter here.

Brinkley, however, said either Kula or Andrews could see time at tight end, as could Whiteside.

Ryan Iverson, a 5-11, 179-pound junior, is another who could see playing time here, Brinkley said.

Offensive line: Ward (6-7, 241) shifts from right tackle to left tackle, and he provides experience on a front wall decimated by graduation.

Senior Peter Kinney (5-11, 221), is another returning starter who will provide tested toughness. He will line up next to Ward, giving the team an proven left side.

Helping the newcomers develop will be arguably the best duo of offensive line coaches anywhere around, Brinkley said, as veteran assistant Zaverio Brenner rejoins the staff to assist highly respected Zach Biehl, one of four alumni on the coaching staff.

“Zaverio [who coached previously at Newport Harbor, Irvine and Northwood high schools] is really knowledgeable and he’s a great teacher,” Brinkley said. “I’d put our two line coaches up against anyone, anywhere. They both do a great job and they work well together.”

Junior Andrew Packham (6-4, 300) is coming into his own, Brinkley said, and is projected to start at right tackle.

Brinkley said junior Jack Taylor (5-11, 246) has climbed up the depth chart to earn the initial starting nod at right guard, while senior Michael McKay (6-1, 235) has won the job at center, where he gained some experience last season when he started the quarterfinal playoff loss to eventual Pac-5 Division champion Long Beach Poly.

Brinkley said senior Cameron Rausch (5-10, 249) is in the mix at guard, while sophomore JB Salem (6-4, 230) provides depth at both guard and tackle.

Taylor could also help out at center, if need be, while senior Alex Rios (6-6, 201) helps provide depth at tackle, Brinkley said.

Junior Jake Palangian (5-10, 220) is another backup.

Defensive line: The big news here is a shift from the four-three to a three-four alignment, allowing the Sailors to better utilize a wealth of talent at linebacker.

Junior Zack Moghaddam (5-11, 245), a former linebacker, is projected to start at noseguard, with Ward and Salem expected to flank him at the end spots.

“We got away with smaller defensive ends in our old system, but we definitely want bigger guys in the three-four,” Brinkley said.

Rausch is also expected to contribute at nose, where the quickness of senior Justin Faber (5-8, 194) could provide another option.

Kinney will also see time at end, said Brinkley, who identified junior Brandon Coffey (6-0, 196) as another backup.

Linebackers: Whiteside, the Newport-Mesa Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Sunset League performer as a sophomore, led the team with 98 tackles, including a team-high 64 solo stops at middle linebacker. He should shift to an outside ’backer spot, however, where Brinkley said his athleticism will make him an even bigger force.

Kula, a starter on defense since he was a sophomore, was second on the team with 75 tackles at outside linebacker last season. He’ll shift inside, alongside senior Nick Svendsen, who has recovered from a torn knee ligament that sidelined him about midway through last season.

When Svendsen (6-3, 210) went down last season at outside linebacker, Lyon stepped in, collecting 35 tackles. Lyon will resume his starting role at an outside spot.

All four linebackers figure to become part of the pass rush this season as Brinkley indicated the plan is for veteran defensive coordinator Tony Ciarelli to blitz more than any other Brinkley-coached Newport Harbor team has.

“[Blitzing] should give these guys more chances to do something exciting,” Brinkley said.

Andrews and Iverson provide depth and could be used to spell some of the two-way starters.

Secondary: Miller (five interceptions) and Green (three) return at the corners, with Helfrich (75 tackles last season) back at free safety.

Helfrich and Green were first-team all-league performers, while Miller made the second team.

Luchs, a transfer from Mater Dei, and Jacobi are vying for the starting nod at strong safety, but both figure to play, Brinkley said.

Senior Josh Fletcher, a newcomer from the basketball program, has impressed at cornerback, where he should provide depth, Brinkley said.

Special teams: Freiberg handled kicking and punting duties last season and his field goals included boots of 37 and 36 yards.

Brinkley said his range is now beyond 50 yards and added that Freiberg has also been consistently reaching the end zone with his kickoffs, an overlooked skill on any team.

Green averaged 15.6 yards on punt returns last year and will fill a return role on both punts and kickoffs, Brinkley said.

Iverson is a trusted long snapper, while Helfrich is a backup kicker.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.