| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Marino | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Newport Harbor | 14 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 48 |
With the foundation cemented a year ago, and if 2019 is still a rebuilding season, the Newport Harbor football program is going up well ahead of schedule and already showing some tremendous curb appeal. Friday night’s dominant 48-7 victory over San Marino drove the final nail in a perfect preseason as the Sailors completed their non-league schedule unbeaten at 5-0.
The next phase of construction will be the tougher challenge of Sunset League competition which begins next week when Fountain Valley visits Davidson Field. If there’s a crack in the facade, it’s the loss of starting quarterback Cole Lavin who will likely miss at least two games after suffering a left knee injury in the second half against the Titans.
“We’re not sure what the prognosis is yet with Cole – we’ll find that out later this week,” said second-year Harbor Head Coach Peter Lofthouse of the junior QB who was having another outstanding game. Lavin completed 17 of 22 pass attempts for 179-yards and five touchdowns before his third quarter injury.
“Fortunately for us A.J. (Guitron-Moore) played well tonight in backup duty,” Lofthouse continued, discussing the sophomore reserve QB who hit on 5 of 7 attempts with a touchdown. “And we also have (sophomore) Nick Kim, who becomes eligible (next week). He’s a transfer from JSerra that we really like.”
Whoever the quarterback will be for the Sunset opener will have plenty of support surrounding him. Nine different receivers caught passes and five Sailors scored touchdowns against San Marino with senior receiver Jake Keliikoa finding the end zone twice.
Harbor fell in a 7-nothing hole early after a turnover on its first possession led to a fluke 71-yard touchdown on the Titans first play from scrimmage. A botched handoff in the backfield morphed into an improvised scramble before quarterback Niko Mavridis found Trond Grizzel in the clear near the visitor’s sideline and the junior receiver raced untouched for the game’s first score. That would be the Titans only offensive highlight of the night.
The Sailors responded in quick succession with touchdowns on their next four possessions, all Lavin touchdown passes (in order) to Mason Walker, Aidan Goltz, Nathan Peters, and Keliikoa. For Peters, a sophomore tight end, his first varsity reception was also his first touchdown. Goltz, a senior returning All-Sunset League receiver led the team with six catches for 84 yards. Keliikoa caught four passes for 56 yards, including his second TD from Lavin on Harbor’s first offensive play of the second half to put the game out of reach at 34-7.
For all the Sailors offensive fireworks, the Harbor defense was even more impressive. The unit held the Titans to minus-17 yards rushing on the night, and a net of minus-51 yards on the ground with losses on sacks and mishandled snaps factored in.
Senior linebackers and co-captains Chad Koste and Johnny Brigandi shared the team lead in tackles, with strong contributions from junior safety Kaden Stowell and senior linebacker Zach Debarnarde along with D-linemen Owen Fisher, Chris Jover and Timothy Tizon. Tizon and senior safety Michael Morrison recorded sacks as the Sailors employed a relentless blitzing attack. Mavridas, the Titans QB, completed only six of 13 pass attempts.
“Defense for us has been strong all year,” Lofthouse reflected, noting the senior leadership throughout the unit. “Coach Arredondo and our defensive staff have done a great job this year. I’m very happy for them to get that credit. (Minus-51 yards on the ground), I don’t know if that’s ever happened before.”
Stepping in for the injured Lavin, Guitron-Moore completed five of his seven attempts for 65 yards, including his first varsity TD pass, a 25-yarder to Austin Muro. The senior receiver took the short pass near the line of scrimmage and weaved through several defenders before muscling over the goal line for a thrilling third-quarter score. Sophomore runningbacks Andrew Cheiner and Hayden Farley spelled starter Justin McCoy in the fourth quarter with Farley scoring on a 1-yard sweep to finish off the evening at 48-7. McCoy led the ground game with 44 yards on 11 carries, Chenier added 31 yards on six carries, and Farley rushed for 19 yards on five attempts.
“Right now, across the board – the O-line, D-line, receivers, the defense as a whole – I think we’re playing at a very high level,” added Lofthouse in anticipation of the Sunset League opener against Fountain Valley. “It’s disappointing with Cole what happened but we have backups who are capable of stepping in. If we get him back sooner rather than later, we should be just fine.”
The 5-0 Sailors will host the 3-2 Barons under former Harbor assistant Chris Anderson in his first year as a head coach. After losing their first two games, Fountain Valley has won three in a row, including Friday night’s 42-6 victory over Agoura. Kickoff at Davidson Field is set for 7:00 pm.
-Matt Morrison