Sailors stuff Marina

NEWPORT BEACH — Around this time a year ago, Newport Harbor High’s football team clinched a playoff berth with a victory against lowly Marina.

The Sailors are now playing to get in the postseason in the regular-season finale next week.

Newport Harbor kept its hope alive Friday night by manhandling Marina, 49-7, in a must-win Sunset League game at Davidson Field.

This makes it two straight blowout league victories for the Sailors (6-3, 2-2 in league). They have turned it around at the right time after dropping the first two league contests by a combined eight points.

Next is Los Alamitos (8-1, 3-1).

In order to clinch one of the league’s three automatic berths into the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs, Coach Jeff Brinkley said Newport Harbor will need to beat Los Alamitos at Gahr High in Cerritos Thursday.

For the Sailors, the game will not be easy as it was against Marina (2-7, 0-4).

They are up against a short week. Plus, the Griffins, ranked No. 5 in the Pac-5 Division poll, are in contention to claim the outright league title after defeating Esperanza, 22-21, Friday.

There is a lot at stake for both teams.

Los Alamitos will be looking for payback after last year’s game against the Sailors.

Newport Harbor came from behind late and pulled out a 31-27 upset, hurting the Griffins’ playoff bid. Both finished 3-2 in league.

Newport Harbor earned the league’s third postseason berth.

Los Alamitos stayed home.

Home is not a place the Sailors want to be, even though Davidson Field has been positive for Newport Harbor this season.

The Sailors improved to 5-1 at Davidson Field after a dominating defensive performance, which included three forced turnovers and six tackles for losses.

Marina running back Sam Wilson quickly found out yards are tough to pick up against Newport Harbor’s 3-4 scheme.

On Wilson’s first three carries, he went backward.

Defensive end Scott Ward dropped the senior for a one-yard loss, cornerback JB Green hit him for a nine-yard loss, and lineman Justin Faber tackled him for a one-yard loss.

The Vikings never recorded a first down in the first half, as Newport Harbor took a 28-0 lead into halftime.

“You have to show up every week mentally and emotionally in the Sunset League,” Marina Coach Dan Petrone said. “Otherwise you’re going to get handled. And we got handled.”

Newport Harbor allowed 19 yards of offense in the first 24 minutes. Most of the yards belonged to quarterback Zack Couey.

Teams are usually in trouble when their quarterback leads them in rushing. Couey ran for more yards than he threw in the first half.

Couey wasn’t going far.

The Sailors chased him around and nose guard Zack Moghaddam finally sacked Couey.

With the defense forcing Marina to go three-and-out faster than a drive back to Huntington Beach, Newport Harbor’s offense took advantage of its excellent field position.

Andrew McDonald fired his first of three touchdowns in the opening quarter when he hit wide receiver Cecil Whiteside on a five-yard pass.

The senior finished with 172 yards on 14-of-20 passing.

McDonald’s favorite receiver the last two weeks has been Green.

Against Marina, Green had six catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

In the past two weeks, Green has caught three of McDonald’s five touchdowns. During the critical stretch, McDonald has not thrown an interception.

Limiting the mistakes will be crucial against Los Alamitos. The only problems Brinkley saw with the Sailors before the regular-season finale were the eight penalties for 75 yards.

“We really need to clean it up,” said Brinkley, whose team is tied for third place in league with Fountain Valley and Esperanza. “In a tight ball game you just can’t make those kinds of mistakes.”

In a meeting before the pregame meal, Brinkley talked to his players about closing out the last two league games.

“I’m going to reinforce this again to you guys,” Brinkley said. “There are no ifs and or buts. We got to win out.”

The Sailors understand.

Green scored the game-winner against Los Alamitos last year on a five-yard run with 41 seconds left. He knows the ramifications of the next game.

“It could potentially be our last game,” Green said. “We’re not going to let up at all.”

NEWPORT HARBOR 49, MARINA 7

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Marina 0-0-0-7--7

Newport 14-14-21-0--49

FIRST QUARTER

NH – Whiteside 5 pass from McDonald (Freiberg kick), 8:33.

NH – Kula 1 run (Freiberg kick), 4:21.

SECOND QUARTER

NH – Helfrich 64 run (Freiberg kick), 8:54.

NH – Green 6 pass from McDonald (Freiberg kick), 3:00.

THIRD QUARTER

NH – Green 42 pass from McDonald (Freiberg kick), 9:37.

NH – C. Gute 18 run (Freiberg kick), 6:06.

NH – C. Gute 1 run (Freiberg kick), 4:04.

FOURTH QUARTER

Mar – Balis 19 pass from Couey (Robinson kick), 1:51.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

Mar – Wilson, 12-58; Dallas, 5-25; Couey, 7-5; Balis, 1-5; Quick, 1-1.

NH – Helfrich, 5-97, 1 TD; C. Gute, 7-65, 2 TD; Andrews, 2-19; Chandler, 4-18; Miller, 1-10; Whiteside, 1-7; Green, 1-5; Rios, 1-3; G. Gute, 1-1; Diller, 2-1; Kula, 1-1, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

Mar – Couey, 6-14-2, 37, 1TD.

NH – A. McDonald, 14-20-0, 172, 3 TD; Rios, 1-1-0, 7.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

Mar – Balis, 1-19, 1 TD; Fiscus, 1-6; Wilson, 1-5; Jordan, 2-5; Quick, 1-2.

NH – Green, 6-102, 2 TD; Whiteside, 4-38, 1 TD; Helfrich, 2-20; Lyon, 2-12; Truxton, 1-7.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].