Baker Ices Newport’s Cake With 3 Scores

ORANGE — Villa Park went into Friday’s Division V playoff game having won eight of its last nine first-round playoff games. Newport Harbor went in having won 15 of its last 16.

Something had to give.

It turned out to be Villa Park’s defense.

Newport Harbor, trying to reach the section finals for the fourth time in six years, got off to a successful start with a 31-13 victory over Villa Park at El Modena.

Newport Harbor (9-2), which finished in third place in the Sea View League, beat the Century League champion. Villa Park is 6-4-1.

The Sailors got a big performance--again--from Mr. Everything, Brett Baker. Baker rushed 31 times for 173 yards, and scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving).

It was hardly a cakewalk, however. After the first six times he had carried the ball, he had netted no yards.

But the sixth carry--a one-yard gain that got Baker to zero--was a touchdown. It followed his 65-yard punt return and tied the score, 7-7.

By the end of the half, Baker had 15 carries for 110 yards and the Sailors were on their way to a second-round home meeting with fourth-seeded Kennedy.

Baker now has 26 touchdowns and has rushed for 1,591 yards.

“They [Villa Park] were excited--they were league champs and everyone had talked us up,” Newport Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “They were a little quicker defensively than I anticipated. Our offense had to find a little more pop to get the running game established.”

Brinkley said his team had been intensely focused in practices, and it showed as the Sailors developed momentum. Baker returned a second punt 12 yards, then carried three times for 19 yards, setting up Eddie Johnson’s 36-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead.

Baker also rushed four times for 31 yards in a 58-yard drive that ended with Steve Gorman’s three-yard pass to wide open split end Garrett Govaars.

When Newport Harbor went to its two-minute offense with 1 minute 24 seconds left in the first half, the Sailors gave the ball to Baker. He carried for 17, then for 37 and another touchdown.

“That hurt,” Villa Park Coach Pat Mahoney said.

It sure did. Newport had breathing room with a 24-7 lead. Villa Park scored coming out of halftime with an 80-yard drive, but Baker’s six-yard touchdown reception with 9:59 left ended any comeback hopes.

Newport Harbor’s defense was outstanding. The first touchdown it allowed came after Villa Park’s Matt Swearingen returned an interception 28 yards to the three-yard line. Dache Dameron rushed 18 times for 117 yards, but the Spartans gained only 166 total.