Sailors chart course to CIF semifinals

Rick Devereux

The Newport Harbor High football team made the most out of the

season’s last varsity game at Davidson Field by beating Charter Oak,

14-7, Friday night in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section

Division VI playoffs.

The No. 2-seeded Sailors (11-0-1) will play No. 3 Mayfair (11-1)

at Cerritos College Friday in the semifinals after the Monsoons

defeated Tustin, 28-21, in another quarterfinal.

“We knew it was going to be a street fight,” Coach Jeff Brinkley

said. “I told our guys that they better bring their A-game to win

tonight.”

It looked like it might be a long night for Newport, when Charter

Oak threw a deep pass on its first play from scrimmage and drew a

pass interference call. The defense did not allow a first down,

however, and Newport Harbor drove 85 yards to take a 7-0 lead on Alex

Orth’s 11-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Kasey Peters.

The score was set up by a 68-yard pass to James Coder on

third-and-seven. Two plays later, Peters found Orth in between two

defenders for the TD.

Linebackers Taylor Young and Thomas Martin corralled a Charter Oak

running back for a 3-yard loss on fourth-and-one to give the ball

back to the offense, but a 7-yard sack forced the Sailors to punt.

Brinkley said he wanted to contain the Chargers’ running attack

and force Charter Oak (8-4) to drive down the field by not allowing

long gains. For the most part, the defense accomplished both goals.

The visitors were held to 86 rushing yards in the game and had

only two plays gain more than 15 yards. One was an 18-yard draw and the other was an 87-yard touchdown pass from Manuel Ambriz to Will

Harris near the end of the second quarter.

Ambriz took the snap from shotgun, pump-faked a pass to the left

side, then hurled the football deep to the right where Harris

out-jumped the defender and sped down the Charter Oak sideline for

the score.

“We were not in that bad of a position [on the touchdown],”

Brinkley said. “[The cornerback] was right there. [Harris] just made

a great play.”

The defense did not let the big play weaken its resolve, as

Charter Oak only converted three first downs in 12 third-down

situations.

“We knew they would try to get up the field [for a big play],”

defensive coordinator Tony Ciarelli said. “I told the kids not to

panic because we were playing great the whole night.”

The Charter Oak defense was also playing well. The Chargers

allowed five first downs in 11 third-down situations. The teams

exchanged punts in the third quarter with both defenses stifling the

opposition.

Newport was able to put together a drive to start the fourth

quarter. It was the Sailors’ first possession of the second half that

did not include an offensive penalty.The Sailors went 71 yards on 10

plays, capped off by Orth’s second touchdown reception of the game,

this time from 16-yards out. Peters, who completed 8 of 19 attempts

for 162 yards, lobbed the ball to the far corner of the end zone.

Orth made a leaping catch and managed to hold on despite being hit.

“That play wasn’t even intended for me,” Orth said. “I just found

an open spot and Kasey threw a perfect pass.”

The touchdown gave Newport a 14-7 lead with 7:26 remaining.

The defense forced a punt and then the Sailors’ ball-control

offense used eight consecutive run plays to drain 3:50 off the clock.

The Chargers regained possession with 1:55 remaining, but a sack

by end Saami Khalifian on third-and-11 solidified the victory for

Newport.

“I thought we would have more sacks,” Ciarelli said. “That’s just

a testament to their offensive line, though. They played really well

the whole game.”