Newport Harbor’s Josh Klein Gets His Kicks on Both Sides of the Line : High schools: Goalie, also a kicker on the football team, has led the Sailors to a third consecutive trip to Southern Section soccer playoffs.

Josh Klein of Newport Harbor High School has all sorts of goals.

But whether he attacks a goal or defends one depends on if it’s football or soccer season.

In the fall, Klein is the kicker on Newport Harbor’s football team. Each winter, he plays goalie for the Sailors’ soccer team.

Klein, a 6-foot junior, said scoring points in football is more fun than stopping shots in soccer.

“In football, it’s awesome just to look and see the points go up on the scoreboard,” Klein said. “I never see that in soccer.”

Klein doesn’t get a chance to score goals in soccer, but he doesn’t give up many either. He had 13 shutouts in 18 games this season, breaking the school record of 12 set three years ago.

Coach Mark Payne, in his first year at Newport Harbor, said Klein is one of the main reasons the Sailors (16-3-5, 4-0-4) have clinched a third consecutive trip to the Southern Section playoffs.

The Sailors, ranked ninth in Orange County, could clinch their first Sea View League title with victories over Saddleback today and University Thursday. The top three teams in the league qualify for the playoffs.

“Most teams play with four defenders but we play with only three,” Payne said. “We put a lot of pressure on our defense.

“Josh took over the starting goalie position full time in our seventh game and he’s been at the peak of his game ever since. He has a tremendous amount of ability.”

Kristian Ostberg, an exchange student from Norway, was the starting goalie in the Sailors’ first six games. Klein replaced him when the Southern Section declared Ostberg ineligible.

“It was because of some of his graduation requirements in Norway,” Payne said. “We fought it and got Kristian reinstated. Then Josh came in from football and took over the slot. Now Josh is twice as good as Kristian.”

Newport Harbor is averaging 2.1 goals while giving up less than one per match. Halfbacks Alex Opoulos (10 goals, 13 assists) and David Pattison (five goals, 12 assists) have given Klein early leads all season.

Despite the leads, Klein said playing goalie is still a challenge.

“It requires a lot of thought,” he said. “You have to know where the ball is all the time, even when it’s not at your end of the field.

“You have to be quick, too. It’s all about how fast you get off the (goal) line.”

Klein said the transition from football to soccer is difficult.

“In football, I don’t run a lot in practice, I just kick,” he said. “I’m not in best of shape. So when soccer starts, I have to start from scratch as far as conditioning.”

Klein said he’s a better goalie than a kicker.

“I’m a better defensive player,” he said. “I’ve been playing soccer so long, I guess the defensive things are embedded in my mind.”

But when asked about his future, Klein talks football. Recruiting letters from several colleges, including USC and Penn State, already have found their way to his mailbox.

“Kicking in college seems to be the best thing right now,” Klein said.

Payne said Klein has the talent to play either sport in college.

“His opportunity is with football,” Payne said. “There’s more money in the pro ranks in football, if he does well in college.”

Klein already has shown that he has a decent kicking range. He made 13 of 21 field goals last season, including kicks of 47 and 45 yards, for the Sailors (8-2). He also earned a spot on the all-state underclassman team.

“It seems like I did really well in football right off the bat,” Klein said. “I didn’t kick competitively until high school. I just kicked it around for fun when I was a little kid.”

Klein played freshman football and junior varsity soccer as a ninth-grader. He made the varsity in both sports his sophomore year.

“Football looked like a lot of fun in high school,” Klein said. “I thought I could be a kicker.”

Klein’s roots in soccer go further back. He started playing the sport at age 5, after tagging along with his father, Larry, and brothers Jeff and John to local youth games.

“Jeff was a goalie,” Klein said. “I watched him his first couple of years and it looked like a fun position.”