High School Football: Newport Harbor’s Teaupa, Hufford earn high honors in Sunset League

Newport Harbor High senior tailback Talalelei Teaupa earned the Sunset League Offensive Player of the Year award and junior defensive tackle Ramsey Hufford shared the Defensive Lineman of the Year award in football.

Teaupa and Hufford led the Sailors (7-5, 4-1 in league) to a second-place finish in league and the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division playoffs. The record in Sunset League play was the Sailors’ best in 35 years and the quarterfinal appearance was the program’s first in seven years.

Six other Sailors joined Teaupa and Hufford on the first team. They were sophomore quarterback Cole Norris, Landon Gyulay, a senior wide receiver and cornerback, Quest Truxton, a junior receiver and cornerback, Marty Taylor, a senior middle linebacker and fullback, Zach Cornwell, a senior right tackle and defensive tackle, and senior strong safety Derek Kula.

The Sailors who made the second team were Emmanuel Jogwe, a senior center and defensive end, junior defensive backs Garrett Hall and Cory Stowell, senior defensive end Armani Johnson, sophomore linebacker Riley Gaddis and senior left guard Andrew Williams.

Teaupa rushed 262 times for 1,662 yards and 11 touchdowns. The single-season yard total by Teaupa is the eighth best in the Sailors’ record book.

Teaupa also rushed for 272 yards in Newport Harbor’s 42-21 win against Troy in the first round of the playoffs. Teaupa’s yardage is the eighth-best single-game rushing performance in the Sailors’ history.

He also produced four 200-yard games on the ground. He caught 12 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown.

Hufford finished with 69 tackles, 10 for losses, two sacks, 10 quarterback hurries and two caused fumbles. He anchored a defense that allowed 14.7 points per game during the Sailors’ four-game winning streak in league.

Norris stepped in at quarterback after senior Zach Wade went down in the second game of the year with a broken foot. Norris started 10 games, leading the Sailors to a 7-3 record and five wins in a row, the program’s longest winning streak since 2005.

Norris completed 109 of 186 passes for 1,463 yards and 16 touchdowns, with six interceptions.

Gyulay, a two-time first-team selection, caught 37 passes for 517 yards and four touchdowns.

As a cornerback, Gyulay finished with 34 tackles, one interception and one sack.

Truxton led the Sailors with 48 receptions for 762 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown in Newport Harbor’s 26-21 loss to third-seeded Villa Park in the quarterfinals.

Taylor registered 120 tackles, one for a loss, and intercepted one pass.

Kula had 99 tackles, two for losses, one sack, six hurries and one fumble caused.

Edison defensive end Derek Baljeu was named the Sunset League MVP.

— From staff reports