Castillo finds calling

NEWPORT BEACH — At the start of his high school athletic career, Nate Castillo was still wearing Speedos well into November.

At the end of it, the senior wore a Newport Harbor High football jersey.

The Sailors’ starting left tackle saw his high school football career end with Friday night’s 35-14 loss to Long Beach Poly in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs.

“We had our ups and downs this year, but all of our losses were against teams still playing [Friday night in the playoffs],” Castillo said after the game. “It was a blast, a lot of fun. Definitely a hard-working group, too.”

Castillo wasn’t always a member of the football team. In fact, three years ago he was a freshman phenom for the Newport Harbor boys’ water polo team.

As a freshman, the left-handed driver scored 60 goals and earned the impressive honor of making the All-CIF Southern Section Division I first team. He helped the 2004 Sailors make the Division I quarterfinals.

Castillo was a freshman at the same time as current Sailors senior standout Clinton Jorth. At the time, Newport Harbor boys’ water polo coach Jason Lynch, who had also coached Castillo on the U.S. Cadet National team (15-and-under), said Castillo was the best left-handed player he’d ever had.

“He has all the tools and he’s only 15,” Lynch said at the time. “He could make the national team someday.”

Instead, Castillo walked away from the sport.

“It wasn’t my calling,” he said. “All my friends were playing football.”

Castillo picked up volleyball in the fall of 2005, before finally deciding on football at the end of that sophomore year. It was a sport he said he hadn’t played since flag football in elementary school. But, with his size, Castillo made an immediate impact.

At 6-foot-5 and 254 pounds, Castillo was a force to be reckoned with. He started his junior year at tight end, but emerged as the Sailors’ starting left tackle in Week 4 on his way to earning second-team All-Sunset League honors. Castillo hasn’t relinquished the spot since, and also played on the defensive line for Newport Harbor.

“He’s just improved a lot over the two years he’s been with us,” Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “You can definitely see the improvement and that’s why I told people he’s got a big upside, because he really hasn’t played very much. He’s just starting to learn the game. He’s got the frame, and he’s a tough kid, so hopefully he continues playing so well.”

On Nov. 16, the offensive line’s protection helped Newport Harbor quarterback Andrew McDonald go 11 of 14 for 98 yards and a touchdown, in the Sailors’ Pac-5 Division first-round upset win over Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks.

Friday night, Castillo and his teammates again played big against favored Long Beach Poly’s big and physical defensive line. McDonald was sacked four times — half of the eight sacks the junior suffered during the teams’ nonleague meeting, a 34-7 Poly win on Sept. 14.

The Sailors’ offense also committed no turnovers, although two special teams miscues proved costly.

“They’ve got a lot of good athletes up front, but we were moving the ball pretty good,” Castillo said. “We just didn’t finish it off. It’s a bummer we have to end it now.”

Castillo hopes to continue playing in college, although he said it can be tough getting your name out there when you’ve only been playing for two years. A friend created a personal highlight video for Castillo that can be found on YouTube.

“I’ve just enjoyed the whole experience,” he said. “I love sports, it’s part of who I am. I like being a competitor.”

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected]. MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].