Sailors await Sea View opener

Barry Faulkner

While home-field advantage hasn’t meant much in the major league

baseball playoffs, it has had a lot to do with the Sea View League

football series between Newport Harbor High and Aliso Niguel.

The Sailors (4-1), who host the Wolverines (2-3), Friday at 7 p.m.

in the league opener for both, have beaten Aliso in all three

meetings, since the former Pacific Coast League powerhouse joined the

league in 1999. But the Tars, ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section

Division VI and No. 10 in Orange County, have had two close calls at

the Wolverines’ stadium, while breezing, 42-7, in their 2000 home

clash with Coach Joe Wood’s squad.

“We’re happy we get to play at home,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff

Brinkley said. “We’ve had two real tough victories when we’ve gone

down there.”

Newport prevailed, 14-7, in the 1999 road clash, then held on for

a 14-9 triumph last year at Aliso.

Home field has been more than good to the Sailors, who welcome

their fifth straight road opponent. The Tars have won their first

four home games this season, their last six home dates, 16 of their

last 17 and 25 of their last 27.

“It should be a great crowd and an exciting atmosphere,” Brinkley

said of this week’s challenge, against an Aliso squad that has lost

three straight to quality opponents San Clemente, Trabuco Hills and

Northwood.

The same Trabuco Hills squad handed Newport its only loss this

season, a 16-8 verdict in Week 1.

“They’re playing well,” Brinkley said of the Wolverines, who are

4-8 all-time in Sea View play. “They’re playing good defense, like

they always do. They like to run the football and try not to make

mistakes. They want to take care of the football and win with their

defense.”

A similar formula has helped the Sailors, the defending league

champions, win 11 of their last 12 Sea View contests, including seven

straight.

The Sailors’ defense has allowed just 49 points this season,

seventh-fewest in Orange County, and has held opponents to just 95

rushing yards per game. And, after recovering three fumbles, all of

which led to touchdowns, in last week’s 49-12 conquest of Paramount,

Harbor is plus-one in turnover ratio for the first time this season.

Aliso has committed at least one turnover in each of its five

games this season, which has helped foes average nearly 23 points per

game.

Offensively, the Wolverines rely on the run, with 5-foot-9,

175-pound senior running back Trent Carroll carrying the load.

Carroll has rushed for 547 yards and four touchdowns on 99 carries.

“(Carroll) is small, but they pound him up in there,” Brinkley

said. “They like to run, run, run, then occasionally throw it.”

Senior quarterback Greg Fisher has thrown for 264 yards and one

TD, completing 14 of 31 with two interceptions.

Dominic Ruiz, who caught a 63-yard double pass for his team’s only

TD last year against Newport, is the leading receiver with four

catches for 21 yards and one TD.

Newport’s offense, atypically more productive through the air than

on the ground this fall, has been gaining efficiency on the ground

the last three weeks.

With three straight triple-figure outputs, senior tailback

Dartangan Johnson now has 447 rushing yards and eight TDs this fall.

His 2,452 career rushing yards leave him just 249 short of breaking

Steve Brazas’ school career record, set in 1982-83. Another 100-yard

game would give Johnson 13 for his career, tying him with the late

Andre Stewart for the school record.

Senior quarterback Michael McDonald has thrown for 720 yards and

five TDs, completing 48 of 85 with three interceptions.

The Sailors have had 13 different players catch passes this

season, led by senior wideout Mike Toole (16 receptions for 288 yards

and one TD) and sophomore Spencer Link (12 catches for 236 yards and

three TDs).

“You always want to get out of the chute with a win to start

league,” Brinkley said. “You don’t want to be put behind the eight

ball with a loss and have to chase other teams.”