High School Football Preview: Newport Harbor Football

Huntington Beach (4-3, 2-0) vs. Newport Harbor (3-4, 1-1)

When/where: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at Orange Coast College

Key Oilers: Sr. RB-DE Derek Thomas (50 carries for 351 yards and six TDs; 39 tackles, 11.5 sacks); Jr. QB Nick Welch (73 of 151 passing for 809 yards, five TDs and six INTs); Sr. WR Sean Welsh (21 catches for 198 yards and one TD)

Key Sailors: Sr. RB Cole Kinder (169 carries for 1,216 yards and 18 TDs); Sr. MLB Gage Roberson; Sr. LT Mike Jarboe

Breakdown: Huntington Beach is in a first-place tie in the Sunset League with Edison … Newport Harbor, which shares third place with Los Alamitos, is in a must-win situation if it plans to finish in the top three in league and earn an automatic berth into the CIF Southern Section Division 6 playoffs … Oilers, ranked No. 8 in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 poll, look to start 3-0 in league for the first time since 2005 … Sailors’ career rushing record is 3,451 yards, a mark Kinder is 47 yards away from breaking … Huntington Beach lost to the Sailors, 33-27, in overtime last year … Newport Harbor has won the last two meetings with the Oilers.

— David Carrillo Peñaloza