St. Paul scores late to edge Newport Harbor football
Students in the Tar Pit section at Newport Harbor’s football season opener Friday night wore orange Home Depot aprons as a theme.
It seemed appropriate, as the Sailors will have to get back to work after a tough loss.
St. Paul High School junior quarterback Gabriel Castaneda scored on a one-yard sneak in the final two minutes of the game, lifting the visitors to a 21-17 nonleague win at Davidson Field.
Newport Harbor led for most of the game and scored touchdowns on its first two drives, but couldn’t quite hold on for the win in Matt Burns’ head coaching debut.
“We got some momentum going and we kind of let them just creep back in,” said Burns, a 1994 Newport Harbor graduate who has been a longtime assistant coach at his alma mater. “[St. Paul] coach [Mike] Moschetti did a great job. He kept his guys in it. They had the confidence to stay in it, and we didn’t finish. We didn’t tackle when we needed to, and we didn’t run the ball when we needed to.”
The Sailors suffered their second straight tough loss to the Swordsmen to open the season, after falling 24-22 on the road last year.
Friday night’s game seemed more promising, at least early. Senior quarterback Bode Stefano led Newport Harbor on two first-quarter scoring drives.
Stefano is back at quarterback after playing tight end last year. Last year’s starter at quarterback, Jaden O’Neal, and fellow quarterback Cole Leinart both transferred out of the program, to Narbonne and Redondo Union, respectively.
The Sailors’ first drive Friday ended on a 17-yard touchdown scamper to the left by sophomore running back Jackson Stremick.
On the second drive, Stefano found Sammy Stremick, a senior, over the middle on a four-yard touchdown pass. The elder Stremick made an athletic one-handed grab.
But the Sailors would add only a 20-yard field goal from Daniel Rico over the final three quarters.
St. Paul scored just before the half on a short screen pass from Castaneda to Marley Luatua. The Swordsmen added a defensive touchdown in the third quarter, on a long scoop and score by Joseph Boler that Burns adamantly disagreed with.
“The ball bounced like a basketball, and he ran it back for a touchdown,” Burns said. “I was out on the field like, ‘What are you talking about?’ It was crazy. [Stefano] grounded it, it bounced up, and the guy grabbed it and took off running. Whatever, we had our opportunities.”
Later in the quarter, Sailors captain Cade Fegel caused a turnover, jarring the ball out of the St. Paul running back’s hands. Teammate Glenn Baranoski recovered it at the St. Paul 33-yard line.
The short field led to Rico’s field goal, but the Sailors came up empty on a pair of fourth quarter drives. Meanwhile, Joseph Lafferre had a 42-yard run late for St. Paul, giving the Swordsmen a first-and-goal and setting up Castaneda’s sneak on third down.
“When it mattered and we had to make plays, we made plays,” Moschetti said. “[Burns], he’s a Newport Harbor guy and they’re going back to old-school Newport Harbor football. They’re going to be just fine. We’ve got a long way to go. Our schedule just gets even tougher, but Newport Harbor is a great program and we’ve got nothing but respect for them.
“We talked about it all summer long, that it was going to come down to the last play. Any time you can come down here and get a win in Orange County against a great program like Newport Harbor, with their tradition, we’re lucky to get out of here with a win.”
Burns said the offense will improve, with just one returner — captain Matthew Beckman — on the offensive line.
Newport Harbor plays at La Habra on Friday night. Both teams will be looking for their first win, as the Highlanders also lost a tough game, 26-23 to Upland, in Week Zero.
Nonleague
St. Paul 21, Newport Harbor 17
SCORE BY QUARTERS
St. Paul 0 - 7 - 7 - 7 — 21
Newport 14 - 0 - 3 - 0 — 17
FIRST QUARTER
NH — J. Stremick 17 run (Rico kick), 7:41.
NH — S. Stremick 4 pass from Stefano (Rico kick), 0:10.
SECOND QUARTER
SP — Luatua 12 pass from Castaneda (Riperto kick), 0:27.
THIRD QUARTER
SP — Boler 70 fumble return (Riperto kick), 7:21.
NH — Rico 20 FG, 3:42.
FOURTH QUARTER
SP — Castaneda 1 run (Riperto kick), 1:28.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
SP — Jose. Lafferre, 12-84.
NH — J. Stremick, 14-40, 1 TD.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
SP — Castaneda, 18-25-0, 130, 1 TD.
NH — Stefano, 21-33-0, 197, 1 TD.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
SP — Benevente, 7-51.
NH — Fegel, 5-67
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