Sailors lack punch in 9-7 loss

LONG BEACH — Both coaches offered postgame misgivings about their team’s miscues, missteps and missed opportunities in a Sunset League first-place showdown between visiting Newport Harbor High and Los Alamitos.

The only difference at Veterans Stadium was that Los Alamitos head man John Barnes did so with a smile.

Barnes’ frown was turned around by Zach Abrams’ 36-yard field goal with 5:55 left. The kick also turned a 7-6 deficit into a crucial Sunset League win, the second narrow league victory in as many games for the Griffins (6-1, 2-0 in league), ranked No. 8 in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division.

Barnes, whose squad edged Fountain Valley, 7-6, in last week’s league opener, was asked how many narrow victories he could take.

“As many as it takes,” said Barnes, who with the win, extended his Orange County career record to 257.

Brinkley did not need to wonder what it would have taken to pull off the Sailors’ second straight upset, on the heels of a 21-13 home triumph over previously unbeaten Esperanza last week.

“We played defense well enough to win,” said Brinkley, whose unranked team fell to 4-3, 1-1. “But we’ve got to get some punch from our offense. We’ve got to figure out how to score more points. We had some opportunities, we just [threw] them away.

“To hold Los Alamitos, which had been averaging more than 33 points per game, to nine points … you’re not going to get a better opportunity to win. But we have to find a way to get a couple big plays.”

The Sailors scored on their biggest play of the night, when Kevin Williams lofted a perfect strike to Jarrett Daniel for a 54-yard touchdown pass with 1:56 left in the first quarter.

Nick Frazier’s conversion kick gave the Sailors a lead, which they appeared willing and able to keep.

But Los Alamitos, with a solid defense of its own, withstood three strong Sailor incursions deep into Griffins’ territory, before mounting the drive that produced victory.

Having had only one first down to that point, the Sailors took over at their own 15-yard line with 8:17 left in the first half. Utilizing fullback-turned-tailback Charles Vickery, who assumed the feaurted backfield role when junior tailback Ben Frazier appeared to aggravate an ankle injury sustained against Esperanza, Newport moved to the Los Alamitos 10.

But a sack on second down lost seven yards and a third-down incompletion left 1:46 on the clock. Rather than attempt what would have been a 34-yard field goal, Brinkley called another pass, which was also incomplete, giving Los Al possession.

After punting on its first possession of the second half, Newport relied on its defense. And the strength of the Sailors delivered twice in a row.

First, Vickery, who doubles as the noseguard, recovered a fumble at the Los Al 35-yard line.

But, two plays later, Garrett Diulio jumped a post pattern to intercept for the Griffins at their own five-yard line.

The ensuing Los Al possession ended in another fumble, this time recovered by senior defensive end Bryce Jardine, who set up the Sailors at the Griffins’ 38-yard line.

But, perhaps convinced they could not grind out yardage on the ground — and they finished with a mere 66 rushing yards on 27 attempts — the Sailors took to the air, with similarly disastrous results.

This time, on third-and-10 at the Los Al 16, a corner pass into the end zone was picked off by Ian Perez for a touchback.

The Griffins, led by quarterback Clark Evans (who collected 108 yards rushing and threw for 79 more), as well as backup tailback Tom DeWeese (102 yards on 15 carries), used 12 plays to drive to the Sailors’ 19-yard line.

Abrams, whose conversion attempt after the Griffins’ first touchdown was blocked by Newport Harbor freshman Cecil Whitesde, this time had no problem splitting the uprights.

A holding penalty — one of the Tars’ eight infractions for 69 yards — pinned the visitors at their own 18-yard line.

Los Al’s defense, which Brinkley praised, and two penalties brought up third-and-20. After Vickery gained 14 yards, the Sailors punted and the Griffins produced three first downs to run out the clock and celebrate the victory.