| 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain Valley | 7 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
| Newport Harbor | 7 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 38 |
Justin McCoy rushed for 192-yards and four touchdowns as the Newport Harbor football team opened Sunset League play with a convincing 38-24 victory over Fountain Valley in front of a festive homecoming crowd Friday night at Davidson Field.
The win ran the Tarball season record to a perfect 6-0. Sophomore quarterback Nick Kim threw for 300 yards in his first varsity start, senior receiver Aidan Goltz caught eight passes for 151 yards, and the defense held off a relentless Barons attack to earn Harbor’s first league victory since the 2017 season.
“It’s a great feeling,” reflected head coach Peter Lofthouse on the first league win of his two-year tenure. “To get in to Sunset League action for the first time this season and win the first one, that’s big for us. It’s a great start.”
Kim’s career at Newport Harbor could hardly be off to a better start. By rule, the transfer from JSerra was required to sit out the first five games and became eligible just as starting quarterback Cole Lavin was sidelined with a left knee injury. Kim responded with poise and precision, hitting on 25 of 33 pass attempts for the 300 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
“I was ready to go. It was a long five weeks, but all the coaches and the players helped me through it,” Kim said of his months-long preparation for his unanticipated first start. “We had a great game plan by the coaches, the players all bought in, and we had a great week of practice.”
The sophomore QB completed his first four pass attempts and was 17 of 19 into the second quarter. And it didn’t hurt one bit that he had McCoy in his backfield. The junior running back exploded with his best game of an already outstanding season with 229 yards of total offense, including 37 receiving yards to go with his 192 rushing on 21 carries.
McCoy ignited the Sailors with the first of his four touchdowns on a 60-yard blast off left tackle on Harbor’s second possession of the night. The scoring play immediately followed a 34-yard completion from Kim to Goltz from deep in their own territory. After the Barons tied the game at 7, Kim finished off a drive of seven-straight completions with a 20-yard touchdown to senior Austin Muro on the first play of the second quarter. Muro gathered in the pass over the middle before eluding defenders to the outside and sprinted in for the go-ahead score. Senior placekicker Jack Starnes nailed a 43-yard field goal on the final play of the half to give the Sailors a 17-7 lead at the break.
An overflow crowd of Tar faithful filling the home side of the stadium were treated to halftime performances by the NHHS band, dance team and senior spirit squad before the crowning of senior Amra Barton as the 2019 Newport Harbor homecoming queen. Honoring the 30-year reunion of the NHHS class of 1989, public address announcer Greg Kennedy entertained throughout the evening with a selection of 1989 pop culture trivia questions. Who could remember that Bobby Brown beat out Chicago for biggest hit single of the year? It figures – after all, it was the end of the ‘Me’ decade.
Following a Fountain Valley field goal to open the third quarter, McCoy struck again with a 51-yard burst up the middle for his second TD. He scored later in the third on a 16-yard run and capped the night with a 5-yarder in the fourth.
“A huge shoutout to the whole offensive line,” McCoy said, spreading the credit. “It’s unreal, especially on Homecoming. Just being 6-0, having that perfect record next to our name, it’s just unreal.”
An equal amount of credit goes to the swarming defense that more than met the challenge against a strong Fountain Valley passing attack. Though Barons receiver Blake Anderson caught 13 passes (on more than 20 targets) for 193 yards, he broke for only one touchdown. Senior linebacker Chad Koste led the unit with nine solo tackles and a fumble recovery with strong contributions from all corners.
Junior linebacker Erik Hehl saw his first action as a Sailor after transferring from Edison and is credited with seven solo tackles and and two assists with a sack and a forced fumble. Senior co-captain Johnny Brigandi added 5 solo tackles with 5 assists while defensive backs Muro, Kaden Stowell, and Michael Morrison are credited with eight, seven and six tackles respectively.
Up front, seniors Kris Kirnbauer, JJ Perez and Owen Fisher, along with junior Chris Jover and sophomore Nathan Peters, controlled the line of scrimmage to limit the Barons run game.
On deck for the Sailors, a short trip up PCH to face Huntington Beach next Friday night at Cap Scheue Field. The Oilers are 1-5 on the season after Thursday night’s 49-6 home loss to unbeaten Corona del Mar in the Sunset League opener.
-Matt Morrison