Sailors Turn Tide With Defensive Play

Two great defensive teams played for the Southern Section Division VI championship Friday night, so perhaps it was fitting that the game was decided by a great defensive play.

Unbeaten Newport Harbor, which trailed for the first three quarters, scored the go-ahead touchdown on a fumble recovery with 10 minutes 15 seconds to play and held on for a pulsating 19-18 victory over Irvine before about 7,000 spectators at Orange Coast College.

Irvine quarterback Mike Ricci fumbled when sacked by defensive end Garrett Troncale, and nose tackle Andy Kalanz scooped up the ball at the four-yard line and ran it in for the touchdown that ultimately gave the Sailors an undefeated season (13-0-1) and their first section title since 1994.

“Garrett hit him from the blind side, the ball popped out and I just picked it up and ran,” said Kalanz, a 190-pound senior. “I had tunnel vision. I didn’t see the goal line until I ran into it.”

It was the second heartbreaking finish against Newport Harbor this season for Irvine (10-3-1), which lost to the Sailors, 12-10, in the teams’ Sea View League opener.

On Friday, the Vaqueros led, 12-0, in the first quarter and 18-6 in the third, thanks to three touchdown passes by Ricci.

“They just played better in the second half,” Irvine Coach Terry Henigan said. “We turned the ball over too many times.”

The Vaqueros gave up the ball five times in the second half--on a third-quarter fumble by tailback Keith Short, which set up a Newport Harbor field goal, Ricci’s fumble and three fourth-quarter interceptions, all thrown by Ricci after the Sailors had gone ahead.

Ricci had been magnificent until then, completing six of his first nine passes for 165 yards. Included were touchdown throws of 64 yards to James Whitted, 11 yards to Eric Patton and 57 yards to Chris Sinner--the last one giving Irvine its 18-6 lead with 6:35 left in the third quarter.

But Newport Harbor seemed to wear down the Vaqueros in the second half with tailback Andre Stewart (159 yards in 33 carries) running behind a physical line.

Stewart, held to 40 yards in his first 15 carries by Irvine’s quick, active defense, finally broke loose for a 43-yard gain in the third quarter, four plays after Ricci’s scoring pass to Sinner. On the next snap, Stewart scored on a 18-yard burst over left tackle, and Brian Gaeta’s extra-point kick brought the Sailors within 18-13 with 4:53 left in the third.

Short returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards for an apparent touchdown, but it was wiped out by a clipping penalty at midfield--one of several costly penalties against Irvine, which was flagged 10 times for 105 yards.

The Sailors also lost a touchdown to a penalty--a holding call that erased a 10-yard scoring run by Stewart in the fourth quarter.

But Irvine was haunted by missed opportunities.

Jessob Reisbeck missed a 34-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter, and the Vaqueros failed on all three of their conversion tries (one kick and two two-point attempts).

Gaeta kicked two field goals for Newport Harbor, a 38-yarder in the second quarter and a 36-yarder in the third.

“It was a matter of us fighting for all four quarters,” said Sailor quarterback Chris Manderino, who withstood a furious Irvine pass rush that sacked him nine times. “This team doesn’t quit.”