Gorman Shows Nothing Fancy

Quarterback is football’s glamour position, but Newport Harbor’s Steve Gorman is more craftsman than celebrity.

The quarterback is a cog in the Sailors’ offense, not the main gear. Gorman’s weekly marching orders from Coach Jeff Brinkley are simple: Follow the game plan, avoid improvisation, don’t force anything, don’t try to win the game by yourself.

It wouldn’t be fair to call Gordon’s play robotic, but as far as Brinkley is concerned, it’s the next best thing.

“He understands our offense is ball control and that you can’t make mistakes,” Brinkley said. “The quarterback has to throw a high percentage of completions with a low ratio of interceptions. We really want a high percentage of completions--60% plus. But sometimes the passes you throw away are as important as the ones you complete.”

Gorman, a senior, has followed orders perfectly. Throwing primarily short and medium-range passes, he has completed 37 of 52 (71.2%) for 10 touchdowns with no interceptions in four games. His quarterback efficiency rating of 215.2 is fourth highest in the county.

“This is the way [the offense] is supposed to work,” Gorman said. “We have what are called ‘progression’ routes, and you always have someone to go to. I have the confidence to make a play out of nothing if I have to, but the game plans have worked so well, there hasn’t been a need.

“We’re doing the job on both ends, and that takes the pressure off me. We’re running well. The offensive line is doing great. We have great receivers in Oscar Garcia, Billy Clayton and Justin Jacobs.”

Meaning there has not been much of a call for any prime-time heroics from Gorman this season.

The Sailors have breezed to their four victories. No opponent has been within 25 points, and only Marina has scored more than six points.

Running back Robert Peredia has been a major contributor with 593 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. So has Garcia, Gorman’s favorite receiver, who has caught 22 passes for 282 yards and scored eight touchdowns.

“There are a lot of seniors on this team that have been together since they were freshmen and sophomores,” Gorman said. “And because you know it’s your last year, you want to do your best.”

Gorman said the Sailors’ system also suits his personality, which is calm, bordering on sedate.

“We have lot of leaders on the offense, so I don’t have to tell people what to do,” Gorman said. “It’s not my personality to get on people, though I will say something if I have to.”

Garcia, who first met Gorman, his best friend, while playing youth flag football, agreed.

“Steve is a cool guy, a nice guy. My parents adore him,” Garcia said. “I’ve never really seen him mad. He’s very calm, but he is also very competitive.”

This is Gorman’s second season as the starting quarterback, but he has been around varsity players for four years. “He was brought up to the JV [team] as a freshman,” Brinkley said, “and they practice daily with the varsity.”

In 1997, Gorman completed 95 of 190 passes for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns. But he also threw 11 interceptions for the Sailors, who finished 10-3 and reached the Southern Section Division V semifinals. He said he sometimes had difficulty making the right reads of opposing defenses.

He had planned to play baseball during the summer, but decided instead to work exclusively on football, hoping to improve his arm strength and his ability to recognize and react to defensive formations.

“I learned a lot in the passing leagues,” Gorman said. “This year, some things came together.”

When Newport Harbor takes the field against Magnolia (3-1) Friday night at Glover Stadium, it will do so as the section’s top-ranked team in Division VI. It’s the first time the Sailors have been top ranked in any division since 1994, when they finished 14-0 and won the Division V championship.

The Sailors replaced Sea View League-rival Santa Margarita, which had been No. 1 since the start of the 1997 season until losing last week to San Clemente.

Gorman said neither he nor his teammates will look beyond Magnolia, the last nonleague opponent on their schedule.

“I don’t mind winning big, but I’d like us to have a close game before league so we’ll know how to react,” he said. “Magnolia will be a pretty good test.”