Newport Revives Old Feelings in Victory

So this is how Newport Harbor responds when the chips are down.

The Sailors, who reached last year’s Southern Section championship game, kept alive their playoff hopes with a 21-6 Sea View League victory over El Toro Friday at Trabuco Hills.

Newport Harbor was facing potential playoff elimination. With a loss, it couldn’t qualify for one of the league’s three automatic Southern Section Division V playoff berths--quite a step back after playing in last year’s championship game.

“We’ve had some guys on this team who have experienced some success and haven’t been in this position that we’re in,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “It was great to see those guys step up.”

Consecutive losses to Woodbridge and Santa Margarita put the Sailors in a hole. Now 6-2 overall and 1-2 in league, the Sailors dug out of it behind the running of Brett Baker.

Baker rushed 26 times for 191 yards and three touchdowns--on scoring runs of 46, 21 and 21 yards--to put Newport Harbor in position to qualify for one of the league’s playoff berths if it wins its remaining games against Irvine and Corona del Mar.

“It was do-or-die, we had to win to make the playoffs,” said Baker, who scored his 17th touchdown of the season and went over the 1,000-yard mark (1,077). “We’re just average, normal guys who are friends who are giving their all and playing with a lot of heart.”

That heart was especially evident in the third quarter.

Clinging to a 7-6 lead, Billy Clayton intercepted his first pass of the season at the Sailors’ 34. Seven plays later, Baker was in the end zone after bursting through a gaping hole on the left side of the line.

El Toro’s offense, which gained 237 yards, went four and out, and Baker was again in the end zone six plays later.

“That was the key, when we held them and then scored,” said Baker, whose interception at the one-yard line ended El Toro’s drive.

Brinkley: “On that last drive, I said, ‘This is more like Newport football. It was like the old days.’ ”

El Toro (2-5-1, 1-1-1) didn’t go down easily with Mike Strand (18 for 28, 155 yards) at quarterback. The Chargers got the ball for the last time at their 16 with 3:11 left, and drove to the seven before two sacks by Derek Fox quashed their scoring hopes.

Newport Harbor’s first-half lead, 7-6, was courtesy of Mike Marshall, who blocked the extra-point attempt of El Toro’s Wes Sjobom.

“In all aspects, that was probably the cleanest football game we’ve played versus a good football team,” Brinkley said. “I thought tonight we put it together pretty well.”