Newport Harbor football routs Marina in home opener

The quick turnaround from the makeshift spring season to the regular fall season is difficult for every school.

For Newport Harbor on Thursday night, it was business as usual for the Sailors’ stars.

Bouncing back from a loss last week at Yorba Linda, the Sailors jumped out to a huge early lead en route to blowing out Marina 44-14 at Davidson Field.

Marina (0-2) came out swinging, opening the game with an onside kick that it recovered. But the Vikings went three and out and Newport Harbor (1-1) got to work.

Defensive back Johnny Chaix (3) deflects a punt by Marina’s Dylan Keidel in a nonleague football game on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

The combination between senior quarterback Nick Kim and junior wide receiver Kashton Henjum sparked the Sailors’ offense in the first quarter. A 69-yard catch and run by Henjum set up a 12-yard opening touchdown pass he received from Kim with 7:54 to go in the first quarter.

“I’m just lucky I’ve got a great quarterback, a great [offensive] line, [and] I’ve got great guys next to me getting open and giving me blocks,” Henjum said. “I’m just thankful for them.”

Newport Harbor fumbled later in the quarter, but Henjum came up with an interception on the very next play. After a blocked punt inside of the Vikings’ 5-yard line, the Sailors’ ground game punched in the second score, a Payton Irving 5-yard touchdown. He scored a second rushing touchdown in the second quarter for a 28-0 Sailors lead.

Henjum even came up with a key block to help Josiah Lamarque weave his way down the sideline as part of a 23-yard touchdown reception.

Johnny Chaix (3) high-fives a coach as he heads to the sidelines after he tipped a punt against Marina on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“They’re special athletes and we’re lucky to have them here at Harbor,” Newport Harbor coach Peter Lofthouse said. “They help drive our offense.”

The scoring fest continued as backup quarterback Carson De Avila scored on an 8-yard keeper and Jon Richardson kicked a 30-yard field goal for a whopping 38-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, with a running clock ticking, Newport Harbor continued to give De Avila reps while also getting senior AJ Guitron-Moore reps at quarterback, racking up 17 yards on four of five passing.

On the ground, sophomore running back Henry Slater broke off a 53-yard touchdown to put the icing on the cake.

Newport Harbor’s Kashton Henjum runs into the end zone for a touchdown after a short catch against Marina on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“I really like what I see out of him right now,” Lofthouse said. “During the COVID season, he was a freshman and it was the first time he ever played tackle football. ...for him, any kind of reps we can get him is a bonus.”

Marina had some fight in the second half. Senior quarterback Brock Beaver moved the team down the field at the end of the third quarter and fed sophomore wide receiver Aiden O’Callaghan a 5-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. Then the Vikings marched down the field in the final minutes of the game with sophomore running back Anthony Fabian driving in a 6-yard score.

“We’ve got a lot of growing to do,” Marina head coach Jeff Turley said. “We had guys make some good plays, and we were able to make adjustments and we slowed them down. It’s just tough.”

Next week, Marina hosts Elsinore while the Sailors square off with JSerra.

“This gives us some ‘oomph’ and some hype going into that game,” Henjum said. “We know how good they are, and we know how good we are, so hopefully we can go get that win.”

Newport Harbor linebacker Tanner Muir, bottom, tackles Marina fullback Grant Brenton as teammate Elijah Zeigler comes in to complete the play.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Nonleague

Newport Harbor 44, Marina 14

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Marina 0 – 0 – 0 – 14 – 14

Newport Harbor 21 – 17 – 0 – 6 – 44

FIRST QUARTER

NH – Henjum 12 pass from Kim (Richardson kick), 7:54.

NH – Irving 5 run (Richardson kick), 2:39.

NH – Lamarque 23 pass from Kim (Richardson kick), 1:53.

SECOND QUARTER

NH – Irving 5 run (Richardson kick), 7:55.

NH – De Avila 8 run (Richardson kick), 2:20.

NH – Richardson FG, 0:04.

THIRD QUARTER

None

FOURTH QUARTER

M – O’Callaghan 5 pass from Beaver (Frousiakis kick), 11:10.

NH – Slater 53 run (Richardson kick blocked), 8:12.

M – Fabian 6 run (Ingrao kick), 2:07.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

M – Fabian, 12-40, 1 TD.

NH – Slater, 2-58, 1 TD.

NH – Irving 9-29, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

M – Beaver, 10-21-1, 75, 1TD.

NH – Kim, 9-14, 212, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

M – O’Callaghan, 2-31, 1TD.

NH – Henjum, 5-164, 1TD.

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