Prep football: Tars address challenge

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - It starts with the stationery. While the Battle of

the Bay against crosstown rival Corona del Mar High generates more buzz,

those associated with the Newport Harbor High football program need only

look to the school’s address to find what has increasingly become the

most competitive contest on the schedule the last 10 seasons.

Irvine High, will, once again, visit the school on Irvine Avenue

Friday for a 7 p.m. Sea View league showdown that promises to be as

contentious as the battles these two teams have waged in recent years.

It’s the fifth time in 35 games the Sailors and Vaqueros have collided

and, once again, nothing less than a (Sea View League) championship may

be at stake.

The Vaqueros topped the Tars in last year’s CIF Southern Section

Division VI title game, 14-0, after Newport defeated Coach Terry

Henigan’s squad, 19-18, in a dramatic CIF Division VI championship game

in 1999.

The two programs played one another in a CIF division title game three

times in the previous nine seasons and have produced a string of closely

contested classics since the Vaqueros joined the Sea View League in 1992.

Irvine leads the series, 9-8, but Newport has outscored the Vaqs,

340-335, since their first meeting in 1981.

Further, Henigan holds a 7-5 edge against Brinkley in head-to-head

meetings, though Brinkley, in his 16th season at Newport, is two wins

away from matching the 135 Henigan has collected in this, his 21st season

as the program’s classy but often gruff guru.

This year, Harbor (5-0-1, 1-0 in league), ranked No. 6 in Orange

County and No. 2 in CIF Division VI, enters as the favorite.

But Irvine (2-2-1, 0-1) boasts what few would argue is the most

dangerous backfield duo in the league in Dana Hills transfer Terrell

Vinson and third-year standout Godfrey Young.

Irvine has also played Orange Lutheran to a 21-21 tie. The same

Lancers came within a yard of topping the Tars in Week 1, before setting

for a 7-7 stalemate.

“It’s a big week for us and a big challenge,” Brinkley said. “It’s

homecoming for us, so we’ll have a lot of alumni in the crowd. And we’ve

got to find a way to corral these guys. They’ve come up with some

creative ways, offensively, to make something happen against us.”

Brinkley also acknowledges the 46 defense Irvine utilizes will add to

the difficulty of earning the Sailors’ sixth straight Sea View League

win.

“It’s not as experienced a defense as they’ve had the last couple

years, but they still play hard and move around and they’re going to put

a hat on ya,” Brinkley said.

Though their quick-tempo offense and swarming defensive schemes have

remained intact, the opening of neighboring Northwood High has cut

severely into the Vaqueros’ talent pool.

In one preseason profile, Henigan listed only three seniors among his

prominent players and many believe the future holds futility for this

proud program.

Vinson and Young, however, appear bent on prolonging Irvine’s glory

days. In two games since assuming the featured offensive role, Vinson has

rushed for 202 yards on 35 carries and caught eight passes for 121 yards.

His six touchdowns include two rushing, two receiving, a 45-yard

interception return and an 86-yard kickoff return.

Vinson scored three TDs for Dana Hills in the season opener and

presents problems on both sides of the ball.

Young came into last week’s 35-21 loss to Woodbridge with 465 rushing

yard on 65 carries, as well as eight receptions for 66 yards. His career

numbers include 26 touchdowns, nearly 1,700 rushing yards and more than

1,900 yards of total offense.

Irvine relies on quarterback Chris Edwards to get the ball to Vinson

and Young. Edwards has completed 31 of 60 passes for 332 yards and four

TDs, with only one interception.

Newport Harbor’s defense has been stingy this fall. The Sailors lead

Orange County in fewest points allowed (6.2 per game). Their first-string

defense has surrendered only 21 points thus far and a 13-play, 85-yard touchdown drive by Orange Lutheran has been the only sustained scoring

march against the Tars this year.

Offensively, Harbor has relied on a stout line to fuel an attack

averaging 359 yards per game. About 67% of that has come on the ground,

with junior tailback Dartangan Johnson collecting 1,027 yards and seven

TDs on 144 carries.

Senior quarterback Morgan Craig has completed 51 of 78 passes (65%)

for 622 yards and 11 TDs, with only one interception.

Adam Kerns (13 catches for 282 yards and six TDs) and Mike McDonald

(11 catches) are the leading receivers for Newport.

Harbor’s offensive line is led by UCLA-bound senior left tackle Robert

Chai and senior Montana-bound center Jeff Marshall.