Sailors awaken to blank Estancia

Barry Faulkner

It was, very quickly in fact, the type of game that might have

required the use of a snooze button for the visiting Newport Harbor

High boys soccer team Monday at the Costa Mesa Farm Complex.

But the wake-up call delivered to the Sailors in Friday’s lopsided

nonleague loss to Huntington Beach, helped keep them focused

throughout a dominating 4-0 triumph over host Costa Mesa.

“[The Huntington Beach loss] was a game we needed and this was one

we needed, too,” Newport Harbor first-year coach Ryan Hernandez said

after the Tars (2-1) scored two goals in each half and just missed

posting several more.

“Today we needed to get our confidence back up,” Hernandez said.

“Actually, we should have scored way more.”

The Sailors’ sense of urgency was apparent from the outset as it

took only 2 minutes, 20 seconds for the visitors to find the net.

Senior Skylar Taugher booted home about a 25-yard shot, set up by

a feed from junior Nicholas Hedriks, to get the Sailors rolling.

Senior Joel Walker, recently named to the Olympic Development

Program’s state team for players born in 1986, kept the momentum

going in the 23rd minute. He took a well-placed through ball from

Eduardo Garcia and fired it home to double the lead.

Walker, whom Hernandez said is easily the best player on the team,

came off the bench after missing the Huntington Beach game, and some

recent practices, due to illness. He showed no lingering effects.

“I wish I could have played in the Huntington game, because it was

a hard wake-up call,” Walker said. “I think we showed we were

refocused today. We scored some good goals and, to get the shutout

was also good.”

Costa Mesa (0-2) managed five first-half shots, to the Sailors’

nine, but things deteriorated for the hosts after intermission.

Newport completely dominated the final 40 minutes, outshooting the

Mustangs, 7-2, and rarely allowing the ball into Mesa territory.

Senior sweeper Matt Tracy negated most Mustang runs before they

started and junior David Manchester also contributed strong defense

in front of goalies Taylor Carver (two saves in the first half) and

Juan Cruz (two in the second).

Offensively, senior Will Guzman was a consistent catalyst for the

Sailors, while Taugher, senior Chase Kelly and senior Conrad

Williamson were among those who produced quality scoring threats.

Guzman, a four-year varsity performer, set up Williamson for the

third goal, crossing the ball from close to the sideline to the front

of the goal, where it settled conveniently on Williamson’s right foot

and was directed into the net.

“[Guzman] was a horse in the middle today,” Hernandez said. “But

we showed a lot of strength all over the field.”

Williamson did most of the work for the final tally, dribbling

through the last line of defense, only to see Tracy, moved up to

forward late in the game, seize the loose ball and direct it into an

open net in the 36th minute.

Junior goalie Willmer Hernandez played heroically for the

Mustangs, finishing with four saves and directing several other balls

out of the box.

Junior sweeper Juan Dominguez was another defensive standout for

the Mustangs, who were coached by assistant Trinidad Hernandez. Coach

Eugene Day spent the day at the frosh-soph game, filling in for a

coach who had to leave early, he said.

“I thought we played better today than we did against Fountain

Valley,” Trinidad Hernandez said. “Newport has a great team.”

Costa Mesa, which opened with a 6-0 loss to Fountain Valley, is

0-22-1 since winning a CIF Southern Section Division IV first-round

playoff game in 2002.