Sailors’ Kerr Hurt; Santa Margarita Girls Get Tough Draw

Newport Harbor Coach Colin Bouette didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when the boys’ soccer pairings were released Monday. On one hand, Bouette is happy to be in the playoffs for the first time in his three-year tenure. But he’s not happy about starting the Southern Section Division III playoffs Wednesday--in a wild-card game--without his best player, forward Justin Kerr.

Kerr, who scored 21 goals and had 10 assists this season and was a first-team Times all-county selection last year, missed the Sailors’ last two games because of ligament damage in his ankle and will not play Wednesday at Laguna Hills.

“He’s got a college career to think about,” Bouette said. “We don’t want to risk his career for one game. It’s just not worth it.”

Bouette said he hopes Kerr, who will attend Princeton next year, can return for the remainder of the playoffs, providing Newport Harbor wins Wednesday.

“If we go through and he continues to improve, we’ll go day by day and see if we can get him into it,” Bouette said. “We’re playing so well I think we can win without him.”

Newport Harbor finished third in the tough Sea View League and had an overall record of 15-6-4 but drew a road wild-card game and a possible first-round matchup with second-seeded Santiago (20-1-1), the Garden Grove League champion.

“It’s not a great draw, but we’ve never gotten respect,” Bouette said. “The only way to earn respect is to go out and get it. I thought we’d proven ourselves over the last two years with 30 wins.”

Esperanza (22-2-2) is the other county team to be seeded second. The Aztecs, ranked first in Orange County, will play La Verne Damien (17-5-2) or Victorville Victor Valley (12-7-4) in the first round of the Division I playoffs Friday.