Harbor keeps surging

FOUNTAIN VALLEY — Everywhere on the court, wet spots. This postponed the start of the second half for five minutes as the Newport Harbor High boys’ basketball team looked on Friday.

Some teenager came out with a towel. He wiped every place an official, coach and player pointed to or rubbed his shoes on the Fountain Valley floor, creating screeching sounds.

As if the Sunset League game needed a screeching stop. The pace was already slow, both teams combining for 43 points at halftime.

Once play resumed the Sailors made sure there was no roadblock to winning their fourth straight league game. Helping clear the way for Newport Harbor’s 50-37 victory was 6-foot-9 center Kyle Caldwell.

The senior scored 10 of his game-high 22 points in the third quarter, where the Sailors (15-9, 5-3 in league) were on their way to second place. In just two weeks, Newport Harbor finds itself in the thick of the league title race.

Defending champion Los Alamitos on Friday lost for the first time in league, leaving the Sailors in a three-way tie for second place with Esperanza and Edison with two games left in the regular season.

Next for Newport Harbor is a must-win Tuesday at Los Alamitos (18-6, 7-1), which is also the defending CIF Southern Section Division I-A champ. The reason for the Sailors’ resurgence is simple if you ask Caldwell, who made 10 of 11 free throws.

“I think we’ve realized that we’re much better than what we’ve been playing,” Caldwell said.

These Sailors are nothing like those starting 1-3 in league. Defense is a major reason for the turnaround and the intensity continued against Fountain Valley, a team that plays everyone tough but can’t seem to win much in league.

In the fourth quarter, Newport Harbor forced the Barons (11-12, 1-7) into tough shots. Only once did they convert a field goal in the quarter, shocking Newport Harbor Coach Larry Hirst.

“They only scored three points in the quarter?” Hirst said. “Wow!”

Indeed amazing, even for Fountain Valley, which practically always waits until there’s less than five seconds on the shot clock to shoot.

The Barons had to pick it up offensively. They did with Newport Harbor going on an 8-2 run to start the fourth and taking a commanding 47-36 lead. But the more the Barons fired up shots, even forward David Swartz, who made seven of eight field goals before the fourth, it just gave the Sailors big guys, Caldwell and forwards Max Volz and Cecil Whiteside, opportunities to grab rebounds.

Caldwell finished with nine, Volz six and Whiteside five.

Volz could’ve added a couple of more late in the game. But when Fountain Valley forwards Artie O’Keefe and Niles Marquez launched three-pointers, Volz was on the floor, withering in pain near the baseline.

Play was stopped after Caldwell got his hands on a rebound with 1:20 left. Volz got up and gingerly walked over to the bench, holding his left arm, a scary moment. One of the players behind Newport Harbor’s recent success looked seriously hurt with his elbow taped.

“He’s been playing really well right now,” Caldwell said of Volz, who scored nine points. “Hopefully he’s fine and he’ll be back.”

Hirst expects the senior to return. During the last minute of the game, Volz gave a right-handed thumps up to some fans.

“He’s a pretty tough kid. He’s got nicks and bruises almost every game. We got a long weekend. We don’t play until Tuesday,” Hirst said. “I would suspect it was a hyper-extended arm. A little rest, he should be OK.”

Swartz thinks so, too. He led the Barons with 15 points, but he believes Newport Harbor has a chance against Los Alamitos.

“They’re both pretty tough teams,” he said. “[The Griffins] don’t have a very good inside game at all. They have a 6-11 player who’s very soft. I think Newport Harbor will beat them. Newport Harbor has a better inside game.”

Sunset League

Newport Harbor 50, Fountain Valley 37

SCORE BY QUARTERS

NH – Caldwell 22, Volz 9, Kuhns 7, Galey 5, Helfrich 5, Whiteside 1, Friend 1.

3-pt. goals – Kuhns 1, Volz 1, Helfrich 1, Galey 1.

FV – Swartz 15, Lee 8, James 5, Marquez 3, Camarena 3, O’Keefe 3.

3-pt. goals – Lee 1, James 1, Swartz 1, O’Keefe 1.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].