Prep Football : Newport Harbor Wins With Final-Quarter Surge

It threatened to be a double shutout. A defensive coordinator’s dream.

But Newport Harbor High School’s fourth-quarter surge led the Sailors to a 10-0 nonleague football victory over Ocean View Friday night in front of 1,000 at Newport Harbor.

Tom Walker, a senior running back, helped set up the Newport Harbor score with a gain of 18 yards from the Newport Harbor 48.

Tim Newberry, Newport Harbor’s senior quarterback, passed to Billy Castanha for 12 and 15 yards during a 10-play drive which ended with a one-yard pass from Newberry to Jim Stanley with 10:04 left.

“We were a lot fresher in the fourth quarter than we were against Santa Ana (which beat Newport Harbor, 28-0, last week),” Walker said. “Coach (Jeff Brinkley) thought we were out of shape so we ran a lot this week.”

Walker had a game-high 108 yards. He didn’t credit his success to conditioning--he said it was the meshing of the offensive line.

“At Santa Ana we didn’t click up front,” Walker said. “Tonight, it was a lot better.”

Brinkley agreed: “We have all juniors and just one senior on the offensive line, so at halftime we had to talk about controlling the line of scrimmage.

“If we open the holes, (Walker) is a proven runner.”

Walker also had a fine defensive game, with two interceptions from his strong-safety position.

The first interception helped set up Newport Harbor’s 35-yard field goal by Josh Kline, taking the ball at midfield and returning it to the Ocean View 17. The second, appropriately enough, was on the last play of the game.

Newberry completed 7 of 21 passes for 78 yards with a touchdown and an interception.