Newport out of playoffs

A wooden bucket along with what appeared to be White-out bottles determined the playoff chances for Newport Harbor High’s football team, as well as four other Sunset League squads, at Edison’s weight room Friday night.

The Sailors playoff hopes were crushed. They will not be going to the playoffs, as Esperanza is the top representative for the Sunset League, Fountain Valley is No. 2 and Los Alamitos is No. 3. Edison is the first to attain the at-large berth.

“It tears your heart out,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “I feel extremely upset for our players. These kids did everything they had to do. It breaks my heart for those guys.”

After Esperanza beat Edison, 16-3, to set up a five-way first-place tie, the athletic directors from each school agreed to have Mike Sciacca, a Huntington Beach Independent reporter, pick the bottles out of the bucket, while Steve Fryer, an Orange County Register reporter, watched. The names of the schools were most likely written on each bottle, Sciacca said.

After the three teams were picked, Edison received the nod for at-large consideration because the Chargers beat Newport Harbor, 14-7, Oct. 17.

“We all agreed on the method,” said Eric Tweit, Newport Harbor athletic director. “It took us about 20 minutes to decide from all the diifferent possiblities. We seemed it would be the fairest and most unbiased.”

Perhaps for consolation, the Sailors were able to win a share of the Sunset League title, their first since 1974. They played in the Sunset League from 1967-1980.