Prep football: On the road again

Barry Faulkner

DANA POINT - The Newport Harbor High football team will complete

its September road tour by visiting Dana Hills High Friday for a

nonleague contest that kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

By virtue of a rare scheduling quirk, unprecedented, in fact, in Coach

Jeff Brinkley’s 16 seasons at the helm, the Sailors are playing their

fourth straight game in their white road uniforms.

“We’ve been the road warriors,” Brinkley said. “The biggest thing

about a road game is the bus ride. When we’re at our place, our kids can

sit in our locker room and watch film and relax. When you go to a

different environment, the (pregame) schedule is always pushed up a

little bit and you might have to dress in a locker room that is much more

cramped than what you’re used to.”

The Sailors have grown accustomed to winning handily the last two

weeks. After opening with a 7-7 tie against Orange Lutheran, the Tars

blanked Marina, 28-0, then rolled through Back Bay rival Corona del Mar,

47-7.

With 14 points allowed (4.7 per game), the Sailors share the No. 1

ranking in Orange County in scoring defense with Laguna Beach.

Harbor’s defense does not include a returning starter, since safety

Brian Gaeta was sidelined in Week 1. Still, the unit has allowed just 127

combined rushing yards the last two weeks, most of which came against

reserves.

The unit’s challenge this week includes Coach Scott Orloff’s Fly

offense, which is triggered by a motion man that arrives at the

quarterback around the time of the snap.

“It’s something different than we see in league,” Brinkley said. “It

presents some problems. We’ll have to line up right and tackle

everybody.”

The Dolphins’ Fly attack was considerably more dangerous with junior

running back Terrell Vinson, who played in the South Coast League team’s

season-opening 30-14 win in Hawaii, but has since transferred to Irvine.

Dana Hills is also without returning quarterback Steve Vierra, who

transferred before his senior season, as well as sophomore backup

quarterback Luke Tracy, who joined Vinson at Irvine.

“Losing Vinson was a big hit to their offense,” Brinkley said.

Hoping to apply additional big hits against Dana Hills ball carriers

will be senior linebackers Cory Ray and Tyler Miller, senior tackle Scott

Kohan, senior end Jim Rothwell and senior cornerback Adam Kerns. All the

aforementioned standouts have distinguished themselves thus far.

In addition to the ground game, led by junior Brett Shirozono, who

rushed for 113 yards in a 34-13 win over Santa Ana, junior quarterback

Trevor Walls has thrown for 298 yards and five touchdowns. Walls has

completed 21 of 34 passes with only one interception and threw three TD

passes to help his team cut into a 44-0 deficit in last week’s 51-26 loss

to Edison.

Nick Garton, with 14 catches for 197 yards and four TDs, is the

Dolphins’ leading receiver.

Newport’s offense, which has earned 75% of its 1,138 yards on the ground, features junior tailback Dartangan Johnson running behind an

impressive offensive line.

With tackles Robert Chai (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) and John Dobrott (6-7,

280), guards Bryan Breland (6-3, 245) and Chris Badorek (6-4, 270), as

well as Montana-bound center Jeff Marshall (6-5, 215), Johnson has cruised to 601 rushing yards and four TDs on 77 carries in his first

three varsity starts.

Johnson has surpassed the 200-yard mark the last two games, though he

sat out more than 41 combined minutes in the second halves of those

constests.

With such efficiency on the ground, Harbor has taken to the air

sparingly. But senior quarterback Morgan Craig has completed 23 of 37

(62%) for 225 yards and five touchdowns, without an interception. With

the help of backup Mike McDonald (5 for 5), Newport quarterbacks have

completed passes to 13 different receivers this fall.

Last year’s 33-16 Newport Harbor victory was the first meeting between

the two schools.