Sailors eyeing the top

Rick Devereux

The Newport Harbor High football team has clinched a CIF Southern

Section Division VI playoff spot by assuring no less than a

second-place finish in the Sea View League.

If the Sailors (8-0-1, 3-0-1 in league) lose to Woodbridge at

Irvine High at 7 tonight, an Aliso Niguel win over Laguna Hills would

vault the Wolverines to the league championship with a 4-1 record in

the circuit.

Newport Harbor, ranked No. 3 in Division VI, could fall into a tie

with Foothill if the Knights knock off Irvine Friday. A coin flip

would ultimately decide which team would be the second- and

third-place playoff representative.

A Newport victory would clinch the fourth league title outright in

Coach Jeff Brinkley’s 19 years with the program.

“We know what’s on the line and what’s at stake,” Brinkley said.

“It comes down to one game for the league championship.”

Woodbridge (4-4-1, 2-2) will be fighting for a playoff berth of

its own against the Sailors. If Aliso Niguel and Foothill lose and

Woodbridge wins, Newport Harbor would be league champs and the

Warriors would be tied with Aliso for second.

The Warriors have won two of their last three games, but

Woodbridge lost to Foothill last week, 41-16. Before that game, the

Woodbridge defense held opponents to a little more than 19 points per

game.

The Warriors play an all-or-nothing scheme on offense and defense,

relying on the blitz to stop teams and multiple receiver sets to

score.

“They like to blitz a bit more [than other teams],” Brinkley said.

“They will [play man defense] and come after you.”

Brinkley said a key to the game is how well the Newport offensive

line recognizes where the extra defenders are coming from. If,

however, a Sailor is able to elude the first wave of tacklers, any

play can result in big yards.

“We can’t be discouraged if we have a play dropped for a loss,”

Brinkley said. “We just have to go back the next play and do our

best. It could be the type of game where we lose 2- or 3-yards on one

play and then break off a 25-yard gain right after.”

Offensively, Woodbridge is led by quarterback Mike Anderson. The

senior has passed for close to 2,350 yards, second in the league to

Drew Westling of Aliso Niguel.

Westling completed close to 71% of his passes against the Sailors

in Week 7, but Newport won, 21-7.