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In-house Battle of the Bay rivalry

(Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

We all know the annual high school football game between Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar can divide the Back Bay.

This year, the Battle of the Bay rivalry has come between a couple of local families.

There is the Kinder family at Newport Harbor and the Bartolic family at CdM. The opening kickoff to Friday’s game at Orange Coast College at 7 p.m. might feature CdM’s Christopher Bartolic kicking off to his cousin, Cole Kinder, from Newport Harbor.

Kinder has already returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown this year, and that has his uncle, Patrick Bartolic, worried.

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“It’s very possible that Christopher may be kicking off to [his] cousin,” Patrick said via email. “And if necessary being the last man to tackle him.

“I have recommended that [at] all cost that he avoid kicking anywhere near Cole.”

The Kinders and Bartolics will be sitting on opposite sides of the stadium.

Another family planned to change sides during the rivalry.

The Hook family first went out to support Tristan Hook, a freshman at CdM, the day before his older brother, Spencer Hook, a junior, took the field for Newport Harbor. Tristan played in Thursday’s Battle of the Bay freshmen game at Newport Harbor, and the following night, Spencer will be in the Battle of the Bay varsity contest.

“I root for CdM [in the freshmen game],” said Scott Hook, the father of Tristan and Spencer, in an email. “I root for Harbor [in the varsity game].”

As for the JV game, Scott joked that he was neutral.

Scott might have to stay impartial next year. It is possible that both of his boys will be competing against each other in the big game.

Tristan is a 5-foot-11, 230-pound center, and Spencer is a 6-2, 195-pound quarterback. Spencer, a JV quarterback at CdM last year, transferred to Newport Harbor right before this season, adding a different dynamic to the rivalry.

CdM appears to be the favorite

As football coach Dan O’Shea walked the hallways at CdM on Tuesday, he talked about the game plan.

“Hopefully try not to get blown out by 40,” said a smiling O’Shea, who was keeping things under wraps before the 55th edition of Battle of the Bay.

The Sea Kings last lost to Newport Harbor by 40 in 2001. Back then, the Sailors owned CdM. From 1999 to 2012, Newport Harbor went 13-1 in the series.

Times have changed since then. The Sea Kings have beaten the Sailors three straight times, and each time it has been by double digits.

The Sea Kings (2-1), ranked No. 6 in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 poll, are the favorites against Newport Harbor (2-0). The Sailors have a 38-16 edge in the series.

If CdM can knock off the Sailors again, it will mark only the second time it has won four in a row in the rivalry. The first time was from 1985-88, and three of those wins came during Jeff Brinkley’s first three years guiding Newport Harbor.

Jeff Brinkley, who came to the Sailors in 1986, knows Newport Harbor will face its first test of the year. Newport Harbor has blown out Pacifica, 47-26, and Pico Rivera El Rancho, 43-19, the past two weeks.

“They’ll be a tough opponent,” Brinkley said of the Sea Kings, who feature quarterback Chase Garbers, a Cal commit, and junior standout wide receiver TaeVeon Le.

Keeping Garbers and Le off the field and winning the time of possession by running Kinder can give Newport Harbor a chance to pull off the upset. No defense has been able to contain Kinder, as the running back has rushed for 314 yards and eight touchdowns.

The Sea Kings allowed a running back to top 100 yards on the ground last week, a first for their defense. Offensively, CdM has only one 100-yard performance, JT Murphy’s 141 yards in a 31-13 win at Los Gatos on Sept. 2.

“We want to run the ball more,” said CdM offensive coordinator Kevin Hettig, adding that El Toro committed to stopping the run last week, only to get hurt through the air, as Garbers threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns in the Sea Kings’ 42-13 win. “What our offense kind of does is it plays off what the defense is giving us.”

My call for BOTB

Battle of the Bay prediction: CdM 28, Newport Harbor 10.

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David Carrillo Peñaloza covers football and girls’ volleyball in the fall.

[email protected]

Twitter: @ByDCP

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