Sailors savor victory

BARRY FAULKNER

On an anniversary Americans will never forget, the opening of the

high school football season brought glorious Americana to Newport

Harbor High Thursday night.

The Sailors’ season-opening clash with Trabuco Hills also brought

the familiar taste of victory to a program that is used to partaking

of same without much more than the mandatory off-season waiting

period.

The 35-8 triumph marked the 13th time in the last 15 seasons Coach Jeff Brinkley’s Sailors have defeated their first foe. But, thanks to

a 7-7 tie with Orange Lutheran in 2001, Thursday’s win, avenging a

16-8 setback in last year’s opener at Trabuco Hills, was the first

season-opening triumph since the World Trade Center towers still

graced the Manhattan skyline.

It was altogether typical for the team with the American flag

helmet logo, scoring the first time it touched the ball -- when

defensive end Saami Khalifian scooped and scored on a fumble created

by outside linebacker Greg Miner less than three minutes into the

contest.

The victory included another triple-digit rushing performance from

a Newport tailback -- senior Matt Encinias, who spent the last two

years waiting his offensive turn behind school career rushing leader

Dartangan Johnson, already sparkling this fall at Santa Ana College.

There was quarterback performance as productive as it was

efficient, with junior Kasey Peters completing 7 of 12 for 131 yards and three touchdowns in his starting debut.

Junior Spencer Link turned all three of his receptions into

scores, including a 56-yarder, and the offense, plagued by three

fumbles in its preseason scrimmage, failed to surrender a turnover.

Turnovers were, however, plentiful for the Tars’ defense, which

gathered in four Trabuco Hills fumbles and picked off one pass.

Three assaults on Trabuco’s ball maintenance led to Sailor

touchdowns and one halted a Mustang drive that had advanced to the

Newport Harbor 7-yard line.

The defense, keyed by the linebacking corps of Miner, Thomas

Martin and Trevor Theriot, also posted a goal-line stand midway

through the third quarter.

After the visitors marched to the Newport 2 in eight plays, the

Sailors got stingy.

Martin made the second-down stop at the 1 and a wall of defenders,

including tackles Austin Nieto and Mark Temple, helped stuff a

third-down try off left guard for no gain.

On fourth-and-goal from within breathing distance of the end zone,

a pack of defenders including Khalifian, end Peter Hoyt, Temple and

Encinias, creeping up from his cornerback spot, converged on Trabuco

quarterback Alex Aubel, who collected only strife, no yardage, with

his ill-fated lean into the neutral zone.

Brinkley was all smiles in the aftermath and Boys Athletic

Director Eric Tweit noted that the Thursday win would allow for more

celebration time than normal.

“We won’t start looking at film [and preparing for the Sept. 19

challenge from Marina], until [today],” Brinkley said.

As for Sailor nation, there was much rejoicing, including the

“Moooooose” calls that now accompany the handy work of Theriot,

nicknamed Moose.

A second-generation Tar -- Trevor’s dad Brian (Class of ‘75) still

ranks 10th among the school’s all-time rushing leaders -- Trevor, who

doubles at fullback, even caught veteran game announcer Dennis

O’Hearn lapsing into nostalgia.

O’Hearn, who had worked the microphone when Brian was slashing off

tackle, announced Brian, not Trevor, had rumbled 19 yards to the 1 to

set up Harbor’s final score. O’Hearn was quick to correct himself for

one of the few mistakes made by anyone on the home side of Davidson

Field.