The Newport Harbor football team finished out the 2021 season with a lopsided 48-6 loss to league champion Los Alamitos. The Sailors closed out the campaign with a 3-7 overall record, 2-3 and a fourth-place finish in the Sunset League. Los Al wrapped up its second-straight title unbeaten at 5-0, 9-1 overall before a festive Homecoming and Senior Night crowd Friday night at Boswell Field in Westminster.
Los Al set the tone straight out of the gate when senior Alec Wills wrangled in a bouncing opening kickoff near the Los Al sideline at the 20, cut back across the field breaking several tackle attempts before finding a seam up the middle and scorching to the goal line. NHHS trailed 7-0 :20 seconds in to the game and never recovered.
Both teams settled in to a defensive standoff through the remainder of the first quarter. To its credit, Harbor held off the potent Los Al offense with junior safety Carson de Avila intercepting a Malachi Nelson pass to thwart the Griffins first series. Strong pressure from the defensive front spearheaded by seniors Alex Pappageorge and Grayson Simon, with tough play from linebackers Robby Crowell and Jacob Carlon, forced Los Al punts without allowing a first down on the next two possessions.
The Griffins took advantage of a fumble recovery off a quarterback sack in Harbor territory on the first play of the second quarter. Two plays later, Nelson tossed a four yard touchdown pass for a 14-0 Griffons lead. It was the first of Nelson’s four touchdown passes on the night, giving the junior Oklahoma commit 36 TD throws on the season, one shy of the Orange County single season record. His impressive 59-yard TD pass to the end zone that flew 65 yards in the air on the final play of the first half made it 34-0. The onslaught was slowed only by an interception by sophomore Josiah Lamarque midway through the second quarter.
Through a running clock in the second half, Nelson threw one more TD pass covering 39 yards and Nygel Osborne scored his second rushing touchdown of the night. The Newport Harbor offense struggled throughout, yet managed to salvage some respectability and avoid a shutout when senior quarterback AJ Guitron-Moore hit Lamarque with an 11-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game.
The Sailors will wait until Sunday when the Orange County playoff pairings are announced. There is a slim hope for an at-large bid based on strength of schedule and the new power rankings. Head Coach Peter Lofthouse said he is optimistic of an at-large bid, but if it does not happen the program will proceed directly into off-season preparation mode for the 2022 season.
– Matt Morrison
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