Newport Harbor’s Total Package Sends Woodbridge Packing

Newport Harbor High School’s defensive front recorded eight sacks, intercepted two passes and limited Woodbridge to 77 yards passing in a 25-0 victory Thursday night at Davidson Field.

Linebacker Tony Mancuso had three of Newport Harbor’s eight sacks and Woodbridge quarterback James Wyatt lost 51 yards against the pass rush. Wyatt also was intercepted by linebacker Darin Mangnall and safety Brandon Coluccio.

“This was our best defensive effort of the year,” said Jeff Brinkley, Newport Harbor coach. “While doing our walk through in the gym before the game, I told the team I wanted to see the total package.

“We shut them out and got good play by the special teams, offense and defense. Our defense responded to the challenge.”

Well, almost. The only disappointment for Newport Harbor (6-3, 2-2 in league) was another poor performance by returning All-Southern Section kicker Josh Klein. Klein missed three field goals and a conversion attempt and was finally replaced by sophomore Greg Kaiser.

Newport Harbor’s best receiver, Coluccio, was used sparingly after he dislocated two fingers on his right hand in the second quarter. Coluccio caught only one pass for 10 yards.

On the positive side, backs Russell Olshefski and Billy Gabriel led a solid running game. Newport Harbor totaled 236 yards rushing and scored the only touchdown it needed when Gabriel went 43 yards the first time he carried the ball.

Olshefski led all rushers with 143 yards in 16 carries and Gabriel added 91 yards in only five carries, including runs of 43 and 24 yards. Gabriel averaged 18.2 yards per carry.

Woodbridge (2-6-1, 0-3-1) was eliminated from the playoffs for the second consecutive year and hardly looked like a team that had advanced to the Division VIII championship game in 1987-88 under former coach Gene Noji.

Woodbridge, which netted only 11 yards rushing with Wyatt running for his life, even managed to snap the ball out of the end zone on an attempted punt for a safety. The Warriors’ offensive line offered its quarterback little protection, and the team’s top rusher, Julian Johnson, had only 31 yards in eight carries.

“Nobody really blocked me,” Mancuso said afterward. “This was by far our best defensive game.”

Newport Harbor scored in every quarter in front of a homecoming crowd of 1,500 and built an 18-0 lead when quarterback Steve Walker scored on a one-yard keeper following Mangnall’s interception. Walker completed 8 of 18 passes for 104 yards and was intercepted once.

Newport Harbor added another touchdown in the fourth quarter--on Gabriel’s one-yard run--after sacking Wyatt on three consecutive passing attempts. Mancuso threw Wyatt for a one-yard loss, Coluccio dropped him for a five-yard loss and Craig Conlee chased Wyatt for a 14-yard loss.