(note: images and video will be forthcoming)
It can be said after the first game of the 2021 season that Newport Harbor looks like a pretty good fourth quarter football team. It goes without saying that the first, second, and third quarters count too, and the Sailors simply didn’t have enough in the end to offset what wasn’t there in the beginning.
Despite a late rally that at least salvaged respectability, Harbor dropped the opener 26-14 at Yorba Linda. The Sailors never matched the Mustangs’ fire and didn’t have the fuel to recover from a 16-0 second half deficit.
“We unfortunately started very slow,” reflected Harbor Head Coach Peter Lofthouse. “We finally found our rhythm in the fourth quarter, but at that point it was too late.”
If they saved their best for last, the Sailors’ worst was first. So awful was their start that NHHS scored the first points of the season – for Yorba Linda. Taking the opening kickoff just eight yards out of the end zone, Harbor went three plays & out with a net gain of 0 yards. The first punt snap skipped off the turf and out of the end zone for a safety. 2-0 Mustangs.
Yorba Linda’s first possession resulted in seven more points scored all on their own. A 30-yard return of a short kickoff set the tone, and four plays later the Mustangs hit on a 16-yard touchdown pass to make it 9-0 barely four minutes in to the first quarter.
The Sailors’ second offensive possession stirred signs of life as senior quarterback Nick Kim connected with junior Kashton Henjum for a pair of first downs, and with sophomore Josiah Lamarque for another. But the drive stalled near midfield when Harbor failed to convert on a 4th down pass attempt. An impressive catch by senior Duke Starnes on a 21-yard pass from Kim was the only other offensive highlight of the first half. The defense created a pair of turnovers on junior Garrett Emerson’s interception near the Yorba Linda goal line and junior Carson de Avila’s forced fumble recovered by junior Johnny Chaix.
Yorba Linda extended their lead late in the second quarter with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Reyn Beal to Garrett Gonzalez who made a (home) crowd-pleasing catch on a tipped ball at the goal line. The Mustangs took a 16-0 lead into the break.
Playing with better energy to start the second half, the Sailors defense blocked a field goal attempt on Yorba Linda’s first possession before the offense strung together a nine-play drive into the red zone. Kim connected with Zach Zamora for a 30-yard completion, and Henjum showed his elusive moves on a 14-yard pick up for another first down. Alas, the drive was quashed when Kim was sacked on a 4th down pass attempt from the 18-yard line. It was one of seven sacks Kim endured on the night.
After the Mustangs converted a 42-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the third quarter, Harbor set sail to recover from a 19-0 deficit in the fourth. Kim sparked a nine-play, 81-yard drive, connecting on 5-of-6 pass attempts to his array of receivers. Lamarque, Henjum, and Starnes all contributed clutch receptions for first downs with Lamarque turning a crossing pattern near midfield into a 33-yard catch & carry close to the goal line. Payton Irving’s two-yard plunge put Harbor on the scoreboard with its first touchdown of the season.
The Sailors defense stepped up with a spirited effort on the Mustangs next possession. Senior linebacker Connor Cheiner and senior tackle Nate Peters made key stops in the run game before sophomore linebacker Jacob Carlon unloaded on Beal for a critical sack and forced fumble that de Avila pounced on in Yorba Linda territory.
The offense made quick work of the opportunity with Henjum out muscling his coverage for a 33-yard reception inside the red zone. Kim scrambled for 7-yards on the next play, before giving to Irving on three straight carries up the middle. From a yard out, Irving’s second scoring run of the night made it 19-14, with Harbor a touchdown from taking the lead with just under 4 and a half minutes to play.
“It was exciting to get a couple scores in the fourth quarter,” Lofthouse said. “The guys started getting excited and confident. We started to run the ball better and lean on them.”
Alas, the momentum wasn’t sustained. The Mustangs made the most of their next possession as Beal hit receiver Chase Jones on pass plays covering 32-yards and then a 25-yard touchdown to make it 26-14 with just over two minutes to play. The Sailors last hope flew high over the head of Henjum as Kim was picked off on a long pass over the middle.
Kim finished with 18 completions in 29 attempts for 232 yards and the interception. Henjum grabbed six receptions for 88 yards, Lamarque had six catches for 63 yards and Irving led the team in rushing with 47 yards on 12 carries and the two touchdowns. Sophomore Noe Avalos converted both extra point kicks.
“Our defense played well enough for us to win. Offensively, we weren’t very good. We can’t wait for the fourth quarter,” summed up Lofthouse. “We knew Yorba Linda is a good team. Coach Baily and his staff, credit to them. They have a good program over there, good players, and tonight they played better than us.”
– Matt Morrison