Win not enough for Tars

PLACENTIA — Not bound by the tug of subjectivity, a philosopher might suggest there’s a lesson in the second helping of coin-flip futility forced upon the Newport Harbor High football program Friday night.

But without the luxury of objectivity, Sailors Coach Jeff Brinkley found almost no words, and even less reason in the scene that brought a sudden halt to the postgame celebration after a 13-10 Sunset League win over host Esperanza at Valencia High.

Not more than 10 minutes after the Aztecs’ would-be game-tying field goal from 37-yards out sailed wide left with three seconds left, giving the Sailors (6-4, 3-2 in league) a piece of second place, a coin flip procedure held just outside one end zone ended their season for the second straight year.

Los Alamitos, which Newport Harbor defeated, but which upset Fountain Valley Thursday to move into the second-place logjam with the Barons and the Sailors, will follow league champion Edison as the Sunset’s No. 2 representative in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs.

Fountain Valley, which defeated Newport, is the league’s No. 3 representative.

And the Sailors, barring a string of unforeseen outcomes that might allow them to secure the lone at-large berth, will sit out the postseason ... again.

Last season, Newport finished in a five-way tie for the league title, but failed to advance to the playoffs, by virtue of a random selection process.

As the bad news spread through their celebration like mustard gas Friday, Sailors players collapsed on the turf, most sobbing and some wailing in disappointment.

“If there was something I could do to change it, I would,” Brinkley told his players after calling them in to kneel for whatever solace he could provide.

Asked by reporters later if there were any words he could summon to explain the outcome, Brinkley, his voice cracking with emotion, deferred to the images of sadness around him.

“Look at these guys, who just had their hearts ripped out for the second year in a row, after they did exactly what we had to do,” Brinkley said. “We got our hearts ripped out by a [bleeping] coin flip. It’s [bologna].”

The Sailors certainly played with playoff urgency against the Aztecs (4-6, 1-4).

The visitors drove 80 yards on five plays with the second-half kickoff to take a 10-3 lead. Senior receiver Cecil Whiteside took a flip in the flat from junior quarterback Austin Rios and cut past a would-be tackler for a 24-yard touchdown reception with 10:17 left in the third quarter.

But Esperanza, with sophomore Mark Tumlinson filling in at quarterback for senior Drew Huusfeldt, who was on crutches with a leg injury sustained against Los Alamitos the previous week, found an answer.

The Aztecs, behind Tumlinson’s shifty running in the option attack, covered 52 yards on nine plays to tie the game on the first play of the fourth quarter. Tumlinson, who finished with 174 rushing yards on 25 carries, capped the drive with a one-yard plunge.

Newport came right back, converting three third-down situations on a 12-play march that began at its own 20 and ended with a 35-yard field goal by senior Dillan Freiberg with 4:26 left.

Esperanza drove from its own 26 to the Sailors’ 27, before Newport Harbor senior defensive end Cameron Koziarn nailed a running back for a three-yard loss on third-and-five to bring on field-goal kicker Tyler Drees.

Drees, who booted a 36-yard field goal to open the scoring in the first quarter, had to endure two timeouts called by the Tars to try to add to his anxiety.

His attempt was high enough and long enough, but about five yards left of the left upright, as the Newport players and coaches exploded with joy on the sideline.

The joy, however, was short-lived.

Senior Gabe Gomez had 95 yards on 14 rushing attempts, in relief of junior tailback Cedric Whitaker, who was sidelined early in the second quarter with what Brinkley said was a knee injury.

Rios finished with 123 passing yards, using senior Parker Norton (five catches for 50 yards) and Whiteside (four for 48) as his primary targets.

Newport Harbor 13, Esperanza 10

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Newport Harbor 3-0-7-3--13

Esperanza 3-0-0-7--10

FIRST QUARTER

Esp – Drees 36 FG, 3:40.

NH – Freiberg 25 FG, 0:10.

THIRD QUARTER

NH – Whiteside 24 pass from Rios (Freiberg kick), 10:17.

FOURTH QUARTER

Esp – Tumlinson 1 run (Drees kick), 11:19.

NH – Freiberg 35 FG, 4:26.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

NH – Gomez, 14-95; Whitaker, 7-53; Sweis, 2-5; Andrews, 1-0; Rios, 1-minus 9; Team, 1-minus 1.

Esp – Tumlinson, 25-174, 1 TD; Manibusen, 9-36; Viers, 3-25; Derieg, 4-15; Stubblefield, 3-7; Pierce 1-5.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

NH – Rios, 11-18-0, 123, 1 TD.

Esp – Tumlinson, 3-12-0, 33.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

NH – Norton, 5-50; Whiteside, 4-48, 1 TD; Gomez, 1-15; Iverson, 1-10.

Esp – Derieg, 2-22; Richardson, 1-11.