Sailors post big finish

Barry Faulkner

Having executed a big finish in Friday’s preseason scrimmage against

visiting Mission Viejo High, the Newport Harbor football team elected

to save any encore for Thursday’s season opener against Trabuco

Hills.

After junior receiver Spencer Link hauled in a deep pass from

junior quarterback Kasey Peters, darted between two defenders, then

broke a tackle and back peddled into the end zone for a 59-yard

touchdown, Sailors Coach Jeff Brinkley quickly scuttled the 10th and

final play of the predetermined series, instead calling his defense

onto the field with a short burst of applause.

“It was a good one for us to end the thing feeling good about

ourselves,” Brinkley said of the final of three touchdown passes

thrown by Peters, who, like several of his untested teammates, showed

enough to put a smile on the face of their demanding head coach.

Brinkley believes a handful of mistakes -- including losing two of

their three fumbles -- were overwhelmed by plentiful positives.

Peters completed 12 of 17 for 173 yards, without an interception,

while senior tailback Matt Encinias picked up 60 yards on 11 rushing

attempts, including bursts of 14, 17 and 12 yards. Encinias also had

33 yards on five receptions.

Junior fullback Trevor Theriot provided noteworthy lead blocking,

carried twice for 4 yards, had one reception for 5 yards and, playing

outside linebacker, was among a handful of defensive stalwarts.

Link, held out of all live scrimmaging in practice in order to

recover from shoulder surgery, made an explosive impression Friday.

The first-team All-Sea View League returner caught two passes for 94

yards, including the crowd-pleasing capper.

The Sailors’ defense, with just two starters back, one of whom --

Encinias -- has changed positions, showed big-play capability,

especially after settling down following an explosive first 10 plays

by the Diablos, who have won 28 straight games and two straight CIF

Southern Section Division II titles.

After allowing gains of 117 yards on the first 10-play sequence,

the hosts finished with three interceptions, four sacks and four

additional tackles for losses.

Safety Alex Orth, outside ‘backer Greg Miner and cornerback Matt

Erickson all picked off passes.

Theriot, senior noseguard Austin Nieto and junior end Saami

Khalifian all had solo sacks, while Theriot combined with Miner to

“tag” the quarterback, with whom full contact was forbidden by mutual

agreement of both coaching staffs.

Another highlight for the Tars was two booming punts by senior

Brian Campos, the first soaring more than 50 yards and the second

surpassing 40.

Taylor Young caught a 20-yard TD toss and Erickson had a 3-yard TD

reception on a goal-line play.

Nick Watkins, a 6-foot-3, 244-pound offensive lineman who started

at guard last season, but has been shifted to left tackle this fall,

caved in the left side to help pave the way for Encinias’ longer

runs.

Mission Viejo, featuring heralded junior quarterback Mark Sanchez,

a transfer from Santa Margarita, scored four TDs, though two occurred

in goal-line situations with the ball on the Sailors’ 3-yard line.

The first Mission score was a 60-yard run on the 10th play of the first sequence. A fourth score was a 20-yard pass.

“Overall, I was pleased with what we did the first time out of the

chute,” Brinkley said. “We were playing a team that is pretty highly

touted [ranked atop the CIF Division II preseason poll]. I think [the

Diablos] were a little more physical than us in the red zone. But I

thought our mistakes were those that are correctable.”

Brinkley was relieved to see Link, expected to be a featured

weapon in the passing game, appear back at 100%.

“We’ve been waiting for him to get through his rehab,” Brinkley

said.

“I also thought [Peters] played well, I thought [Encinias] ran the

ball well and I thought our offensive line [with three first-year

starters] did OK.”

And while no Sailors sustained anything beyond cuts and bruises,

always a plus in these dress rehearsals, the lack of depth inherent

with a 39-player roster was glaring, as the Sailors struggled to

compose complete backup lines on offense and defense.

The session involving substitutes, in fact, was cut short when the

Sailors realized they did not have a full backup offensive front and

did not want to risk injury to any of the starters.