Tars area Sea View’s No. 1

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH -- The Newport Harbor High football team hopes its

season is still six weeks away from completion. But regardless of how

long the journey lasts, the Sailors will be Sea View League champions

when it’s over.

Coach Jeff Brinkley’s squad clinched at least a share of its second

league crown in his 14 seasons, as well as the league’s No. 1 spot in the

CIF Southern Section Division VI playoffs Friday night with a convincing

28-0 homecoming triumph over defending Division VI champion Woodbridge.

The Sailors finish out the league campaign Nov. 12 at Aliso Niguel and

the only teams with one league loss, have already fallen to the Sailors

(6-0-1, 3-0 in league, ranked No. 2 in CIF Division VI and No. 3 in

Orange County).

“We’re not quite at our peak yet,” said Newport senior offensive tackle

Blair Jones, after the Tars’ first shutout in 26 league games, dating

back to unbeaten 1994 CIF title season. “But we’re constantly getting

better and that’s what we strive for.”

The improvement was most notable on defense Friday for the Tars, who

stuffed the Warriors running game (73 yards on 33 attempts) and swarmed

quarterback Jimmy Pearson to shut down the passing attack. Woodbridge

(5-3, 0-2) produced just 37 passing yards, was sacked four times, and was

intercepted three times, twice by senior safety Dayne Pfaff.

The biggest Warrior gains, 14 and 13 yards by Shane Harris, came on fake

punts. The Warriors were stuffed for no gain or lost yards an eye-popping

17 times.

“We played well on both sides of the ball, but the defense really played

well,” Brinkley said. “Our defense has played well all year, but a lot of

times, they haven’t played a full game (due to nonleague blowouts).

They’ve had some battles the last three weeks, and they’ve gotten better

and better.”

Cornerback Justin Jacobs had the other interception, while Pfaff, Billy

Clayton and Andre Stewart also patrolled the secondary with aplomb.

Their job was made easier by constant pressure created by a front four

which included, at various times, nose guard Andy Kalanz (1 1/2 sacks)

tackle Nick Moghaddam (one sack), ends Garrett Troncale (a half sack),

Brad Rothwell (one sack) and Nick Langsdorf, as well as Brad Craig and

C.J. Collins.

The linebacking corps of Alan Saenz, Chris Manderino and Mike Tunney also

completed the dominant performance, the first time the Warriors had been

blanked in 22 contests.

“The defense played great and deserved the shutout,” said Jones, who

along with his offensive unit provided plenty of highlights, as well.

Stewart made it eight straight 100-yard-plus performances, finishing with

167 on 32 attempts. He capped his evening with a 1-yard touchdown stroll

around the left side, cashing in Pfaff’s second interception with 1:07

left in the game.

The Sailors scored a TD in every quarter, with the first two coming

within a five-play span that surrounded an Adam Kerns fumble recovery on

a kickoff.

Manderino capped the first scoring drive, a 10-play, 85-yard procession,

with a 1-yard sneak. Stewart keyed the tone-setting effort with runs of

29 and 13 yards, while Manderino hit Clayton for 20 yards for another big

first down.

After Kerns pounced on a bobble during the ensuing kickoff, three Stewart

carries moved it 13 yards to the 11. Manderino did the rest, rolling

right and cruising into the end zone for all the Tars would need six

seconds into the second quarter.

Jacobs hauled in a pinpoint 17-yard Manderino touchdown pass on the

Sailors’ second third-quarter possession and sophomore Brian Gaeta,

seeing his first kicking duty of the season, booted the third of his four

conversion kicks to pad the lead.

Manderino completed 4 of 8 for 63 yards and picked up another 34 yards on

seven attempts.

Jones and fellow linemen Robert Cole, Nick Haddy, Steve Wukawitz and Luis

Cruz flexed their muscles against the Warriors’ often-confusing

double-flex scheme.

“It is hard to block,” Jones said. “They have guys moving on and off the

line of scrimmage and coming from all angles. But we just stepped up, hit

someone and tried to keep making holes for Andre.

Brinkley said his team, which hosts Fairfax of Los Angeles in a nonleague

clash Thursday, isn’t about to settle for its ample accomplishments to

date.

“There’s a long way to go,” he said.