Sailors Overpower La Mirada

So much for the four Division I college prospects.

So much for the undefeated season.

So much for No. 1.

La Mirada, the top-seeded team in the Southern Section Division VI playoffs, discovered Saturday that defending champions don’t go down easily. Or at all.

Fourth-seeded Newport Harbor hit the Matadores like steelworkers in a 35-16 semifinal victory in front of an overflow home crowd of 5,300. The Sailors outgained La Mirada’s vaunted offense, 503 yards to 339, and held the Matadores--who scored 82 touchdowns during the season--to touchdowns on their first and last drives, with a field goal in between.

“They were more physical than we were,” said La Mirada Coach John Mele. “We couldn’t stop them.”

That was an understatement. The Sailors rode the shoulders of Chris Manderino, who rushed 30 times for 272 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Morgan Craig, who completed seven of 11 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

“This was beautiful,” said Jeff Brinkley, who is in his 14th season. “This is one of the big wins in my time here, and we’ve had some good wins.”

The offensive linemen, Manderino said, “opened some huge holes, [fullback Travis Trimble] got to all his blocks, and all I had to do was run.” He usually dragged tacklers a few extra yards, too.

Newport Harbor had scoring drives of 80, 80, 99, 81 and 94 yards. The Sailors felt they had to keep La Mirada’s offense on the sidelines, and did so.

La Mirada drove 80 yards on its opening drive, but the Matadore defense was no match for Manderino, who scored on runs of four and five yards, giving Newport Harbor a 14-9 lead.

Brian Gaeta caught a 23-yard pass from Craig to complete the 99-yard drive with 3 minutes 13 seconds left in the first half. After Trimble scored from the five in the third quarter, Gaeta caught a five-yard toss from Craig midway in the fourth for a 35-9 lead.

Newport Harbor (11-2), which finished second to Irvine (13-0) in the Sea View League, will face the Vaqueros on Friday, probably at Orange Coast College. It is a rematch of last year’s final, won by the Sailors, 19-18.

The defense was simply awesome, making the crowd gasp several times with bone-jarring hits.

Brandon Williams, Junior Vaca and Chris Rudiger had averaged 7.7 yards rushing, but they combined for 74 yards in 19 carries.

“We knew they were good,” said Manderino, who doubles at linebacker, “but we felt they hadn’t played a team that is as physical or hit them the way that we did.”