Sailors taking first things first

Newport Harbor football pre vs. El DoradoNewport Harbor, 12-3 in the playoff openers under Brinkley, battles El Dorado on road.By winning a share of its second straight Sea View League championship, the Newport Harbor High football team did something it hadn’t done in 20 years.

Tonight, when the Sailors meet El Dorado in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division VI playoffs at Valencia High in Placentia, they will attempt to do something they might not do in the near future.

Bound for the Sunset League and Division I next season, Newport Harbor might have difficulty making the playoffs, let alone winning a first-round game.

First-round victories have become the norm for the Sailors during Jeff Brinkley’s 20-season tenure as coach.

Newport Harbor (7-3), which shared the Sea View League crown with Laguna Hills and Aliso Niguel, is 12-3 in playoff openers under Brinkley. The Sailors have also reached the section title game six times -- winning championships in 1994 and 1999 -- and won 28 of 41 postseason games under Brinkley.

El Dorado (6-4), champion of the Century League, has first-hand experience of the Sailors’ first-round dominance. The Golden Hawks were defeated by the Sailors in the first round in 1999 (a 22-0 setback), and 35-10 last season.

Newport hosted both of those games, but will need to win on the road this time around.

“It’s going to be no easy task,” Brinkley said. “They’ve got a nice football team. Their coach [former Esperanza assistant Jeff Bailey] has been around for two years now and I think his kids are buying into his philosophy and believing they can win.”

El Dorado has not won in the playoffs since 1993, losing its last seven first-round contests.

The Sailors enter the playoffs with momentum, having played arguably their best game of the season in the regular-season finale against Laguna Hills.

Newport Harbor rolled up 340 of its 420 offensive yards with a running attack that features senior tailback Ryan Rippon.

Rippon, who produced a career-high 236 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the 33-13 win over Laguna Hills, has 945 yards and six touchdowns on 120 carries. He missed the first four games recovering from knee surgery to repair a ruptured left ACL.

The Newport Harbor backfield also includes senior fullback Jack Tracy, who has 703 yards and five touchdowns on 77 rushing attempts.

Brinkley said he expects El Dorado to put eight defenders in the box to try to slow the Sailors’ strength.

“We’re going to have to be balanced and find a way to get them to loosen up and detach some of those guys,” Brinkley said.

Newport Harbor senior quarterback Tom Jackson has found success through the air. He has thrown for 985 yards and 16 touchdowns, completing 80 of 158 passes with five interceptions.

Jackson’s favorite targets have been senior James Coder (27 catches for 264 yards and three touchdowns) and junior Jarrett Daniel (24 receptions for 400 yards and nine touchdowns).

El Dorado has been led offensively by senior running back Craig Leyton and senior quarterback Raymond Contreras.

Leyton has 1,128 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 189 carries this season. He has scored 30 touchdowns the last two seasons.

Contreras has completed 75 of 177 passes for 1,285 yards and nine touchdowns. He has thrown five interceptions.

Tonight’s winner will advance to meet either No. 3-seeded Charter Oak (7-3) or Bellflower (5-5) in the quarterfinals on Nov. 25.200511187M1L32A5No Caption20051118iodv62knKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Clockwse from left, David Rosales (23), Jayme Ohlhaver and Delano McKenzie are key members of Newport Harbor’s defense.