Daily Pilot High School Football Player of the Week

Out of all the positives of following in the footsteps of his father at Newport Harbor High, Parker Norton says the football stories rank up at the top.

Kirk Norton told his son one recently which hit home.

As Newport Harbor prepared for tonight’s home Sunset League showdown at 7 with Edison, father and son spoke about those who doubt the Sailors can pull off the upset.

They can understand why. Edison (6-0, 1-0 in league) is the top-ranked team in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division poll and No. 5 in the state by CalHiSports.com.

Newport Harbor (4-2, 1-0), ranked No. 10 in the Pac-5, is looking to shock the pollsters for the second straight week. After listening to his father talk about the last time the Sailors beat Edison in 1979, things are shaping up for it to happen again.

“In his junior year my dad said they played Edison and it was homecoming,” said Norton, a junior, adding the Sailors are having their homecoming tonight. “He said Edison was ranked No. 1 in the state that year and Newport Harbor upset Edison.”

Kirk didn’t contribute much to the Sailors’ 17-13 victory against the Chargers that night. Norton said his father was on the sideline.

Thirty-years later, Kirk’s son will have a chance to make an impact for the Sailors against Edison.

Norton has played a vital role in his first year as a full-time starter at Newport Harbor.

Whether it’s intercepting passes, which he has done as a cornerback in five straight games, converting first downs on third-down situations as a wide receiver, getting his team good field position as a punt returner, or making the kicker’s life a lot easier as the placeholder on field-goal attempts and extra-points kicks, Norton does it all for the Sailors.

Last week, when Newport Harbor needed Norton to make the biggest play of the game, he delivered.

No. 6 gave the Sailors six points and a 23-20 victory against previously undefeated Los Alamitos. With 85 seconds left to play, Norton caught a six-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal.

Before the pass, Norton knew the play called in the huddle was going his way, to the left, with quarterback Austin Rios rolling to his left.

On the other side of the field, the best player at Davidson Field, Newport Harbor receiver Cecil Whiteside was covered by multiple defenders. Norton understood why the Sailors chose him to make the game-winning grab.

“It was one-on-one coverage,” Norton said.

Norton knew he could beat the cornerback. The offense called his favorite route, a comeback. Rios threw it on the run and Norton came down with the ball after diving.

The victory meant so much to the Sailors. They ended a two-game losing streak. They started Sunset League play with a victory.

More importantly, the Sailors gave Coach Jeff Brinkley his 200th career victory at Newport Harbor.

“The kids played their hearts out,” said Brinkley, who’s in his 24th year at the school. “I can’t tell you how proud I am of those guys. They should be extremely proud of the effort they gave. It was amazing how hard they played.”

Norton and the Sailors will need a similar effort to hand Edison its first loss of the season.

It’s been awhile since Newport Harbor last upset the Chargers. Norton knows the year well because his father has told him the story of 1979.

Kirk is now the president of the Newport Harbor football boosters.

The Nortons are hoping to party like it’s 1979 tonight. Some stories get better when you can relive them.