Football takes care of business

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - It wasn’t quite as dramatic as last year’s CIF

Southern Section Division VI football championships, but a scoop and

score is a scoop and score. Just ask Newport Harbor High senior Dane

Barton.

Barton recovered a blocked punt and returned it 8 yards for a

touchdown, just one of many key plays in Friday night’s 42-7 Sea View

League win over visiting Aliso Niguel.

“It reminded me of the Irvine game last year,” Barton said, regarding

last year’s game-winning turnover and touchdown return in the title game.

“I just scooped it up and ran it into the end zone as fast as I could.”

Barton’s TD came off a Chris Manderino blocked punt late in the second

quarter. That play may have put the final nail in the Wolverines’ coffin,

but it was Newport’s defense that stuck Aliso into the coffin to begin

with.

The Sailors (8-2, 3-1 in league) held the Wolverines (3-7, 1-3) to

only 15 total yards of offense in the first half and no first downs.

“I think that was one of the better defensive performances we’ve had

all season long,” Sailors Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “It was our most

complete defensive game because we were able to stop both the run and

pass very well.”

While the Wolverines were trying to get beyond the line of scrimmage,

the Sailors were making numerous trips into the end zone.

Leading the way was senior tailback Chris Manderino, who rushed for

137 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries, with most of his damage

coming in the first half.

“Our offensive line did a great job again tonight,” Brinkley said.

“Chris knows how to find that opening out there.”

Keeping the Wolverines’ defense honest, junior quarterback Morgan

Craig took advantage of the short, safe passes and was 11 of 16 for 122 yards.

“His confidence just gets higher and higher each game,” Brinkley said.

“The defense just can’t throw eight in the box against us so that helps

both our running and passing games.”

Manderino and Craig wasted no time getting the offense going. The

Sailors’ opening drive took them 77 yards on 11 plays. Craig was 3 for 3

on the drive, while Manderino gained 38 yards on seven carries, the final

carry resulting in a 4-yard touchdown.

Manderino scored again midway through the second quarter on a 19-yard

run, giving Newport a 14-0 advantage.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder continued to wear down the Wolverines’

defense and pounded into the end zone on a 2-yard run for his third TD of

the night.

One minute later, on an Aliso Niguel punt, he busted up the middle and

blocked the kick, setting up Barton’s score.

The Wolverines managed to get their first first down of the night with

just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter, but did little

else against the Sailors’ first string defense.

Barton added a fumble recovery to his evening and Newport cashed in

when backup running back Ryan Ortega ran 33 yards for another Sailors’

touchdown.

Following an Andy Rankin interception and 30-yard return, sophomore

reserve running back Dede Johnson scored on a 6-yard TD, closing out

Newport’s scoring.

Aliso Niguel finally got into the end zone, capping off a 12-play,

72-yard drive with 6-yard TD pass from quarterback Joel Smith to receiver

Dominic Ruiz. Nearly half of Aliso Niguel’s offensive yards came on that

scoring drive.

“We did get a little sloppy in the second half, but we did a better

job of cutting back on our penalties, which we needed to work on,”

Brinkley said.

It wasn’t all fun and games for the Sailors, however. Newport may have

lost senior receiver Mitch Gray for the rest of the season with what

Brinkley believed to be a broken collarbone.

“It’s a shame to lose Mitch as we head into the playoffs,” Brinkley

said. “He was a starting wide receiver for us and he made an impact for

us out there. It’s unfortunate.”

The win keeps the Sailors’ momentum moving forward heading into the

CIF Division VI playoffs.

“I have no idea who we play or even if we’re at home,” Brinkley said.

“We’ve got some momentum going and that’s important.”