Rally Earns Bay Rights for Newport Harbor

Along the Newport Coast, the Battle of the Bay is played annually for bragging rights.

Newport Harbor earned them Friday night, rallying from a two-touchdown, first-quarter deficit with a strong second-half surge from its offensive line and the running efforts of back Matt Encinias and receiver Spencer Link to beat district-rival Corona del Mar, 29-14.

Encinias helped the Sailors earn their ninth victory in the last 10 meetings of the series by rushing for 151 yards and two scores. Link caught two passes from quarterback Kaisey Peters and turned them into touchdowns of 43 and 52 yards.

The meeting, which always carries a championship atmosphere, has been going on since 1962. Newport Harbor leads the series, 30-12, but it is rarely an easy victory for either team.

The schools are so closely related -- they are separated by a shallow body of water known as Newport’s Back Bay. The students who attend each school play in the same youth sports leagues and attend the same churches and middle schools.

After last year’s game drew a standing-room-only crowd of 6,000 spectators at Newport Harbor, this year’s meeting was moved by Corona del Mar officials to Orange Coast College.

It was a smart move. Friday’s announced crowd of 7,400 stood 10 deep in some spots.

Officials stopped letting people in with 2:49 left before halftime.

“This is the game,” Link said as fans from both teams poured onto the field after the game ended.

Newport Harbor fans whooped it up like they had just won a championship.

Corona del Mar players marched slowly up the walkway that led to their bus. Above their heads, signs like “Go back to the other side of the bay” and “Let’s win the Harbor fight,” chided them.

“For the kids, this is a big game,” Newport Harbor Athletic Director Eric Tweit said.

Corona del Mar did not go down without a fight against their rivals, who upped their record to 3-0. The Sea Kings (2-1) scored on the first play from scrimmage on a 76-yard catch and run from quarterback Thomas Welch to his brother, Kevin.

After a Newport Harbor fumble, Thomas Welch marched Corona del Mar 17 yards on four plays and capped the drive with a two-yard scoring pass to Kevin Welch.

That made the score Corona del Mar 14, Newport Harbor 0.

But the Sailors fought back. Encinias’ six-yard run with 5:21 left in the third quarter put the Sailors up for good, 15-14.

“This is huge, “ Encinias said as he stood at the center of the field after the game ended and received a kiss from his mother.

“This is close to winning a championship.”