Everything Goes Right for Stewart, Sailors

Newport Harbor’s coaches and players probably played out several best-case scenarios in their minds before Friday night’s Southern Section Division VI semifinal against Kennedy.

But none of them, it’s safe to say, would have added up to this:

Sailors 49, Fighting Irish 0.

That was the actual, honest-to-goodness, you’ve-gotta-be-kidding final score before about 3,000 at Newport Harbor High.

Andre Stewart carried 28 times for 227 yards, scored three touchdowns and broke the school single-season rushing record. And he didn’t even play after halftime.

Backup Ryan Brill added 130 yards in 10 carries, including a 59-yard touchdown, for an offense that gained 466 yards (414 rushing) and didn’t have to punt once.

The Newport Harbor defense posted its fourth shutout of the year, intercepting three passes, recovering two fumbles and holding the Irish to 17 yards rushing.

And the unbeaten Sailors (12-0-1) set up an all-Sea View League Division VI final against Irvine, which beat Loara, 15-9.

Afterward, shock and surprise was duly registered throughout the Newport Harbor camp.

“I never thought it would go like that,” said Stewart, who has 2,221 yards this season, 97 more than the school record set by Ray Ohrel in 1996. “I thought it would be a tough, man-on-man game.”

“I could never have imagined 49-0,” added Coach Jeff Brinkley, whose team next week will bid for its first section title since 1994. “The ball just bounced our way.”

Things started going the Sailors’ way right from the opening kickoff, which Kelsey Peterson returned 73 yards to the Kennedy 15. Four plays later, Stewart scored on a two-yard run.

He was just getting warmed up. The Sailors scored twice more in the first quarter--on quarterback Chris Manderino’s one-yard sneak and Stewart’s 13-yard run-- with Stewart rushing for all but 27 yards on scoring drives of 62 and 56 yards. Late in the second quarter, Stewart accounted for all 68 yards on a five-play drive ending in his 14-yard touchdown run for a 28-0 halftime lead.

Almost nothing went right for the Irish (9-4). Their only scoring threat, in the second quarter, ended when Dayne Pfaff intercepted a halfback pass by Steve Yaden at the two-yard line. Etherson completed 13 of 33 passes on a windy night for 157 yards with two interceptions.

“The wind was in our favor,” Brinkley said. “It made things harder for their passing game, and it dried out the turf, which helped our running game.”

Kennedy Coach Mitch Olson declined to comment.