Prep football: Bulletproof

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - What a difference a league makes.

Since earning four straight CIF Southern Section playoff appearances,

two league championships and the 1996 CIF Division VIII crown in five

seasons in the Pacific Coast League, the Aliso Niguel High football

program has gone 2-5 since entering the Sea View League last fall.

Newport Harbor, which hosts the Wolverines Friday at 7 p.m., will try

to continue that trend, as well as clinch at least second place with a

victory.

The Wolverines (3-6, 1-2 in league) could, however, thrust themselves

into the playoff picture with an upset, potentially forcing the Sailors

(7-2, 2-1 in league and ranked No. 5 in CIF Division VI) to accept an

at-large playoff berth.

An Aliso win, combined with a Woodbridge loss Friday against

league-leading Irvine, would leave Newport, Aliso and Woodbridge tied for

second. A coin flip would then determine which two would get the league’s

remaining playoff nods. Since a .500 record is required to gain an

at-large entry, Newport Harbor is the only Sea View school which would

qualify, if it did not gain a guaranteed bid.

A Newport win, combined with a Woodbridge upset, would create a

three-way tie for first, which would require a coin flip to determine the

league’s Nos. 1-3 representatives.

But all this is mere semantics to Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley, who,

knowing his team is a virtual lock to get at least the division’s lone

at-large berth, merely wants to win and continue building momentum for

the 11th postseason campaign in his 15-year tenure at the school.

“You always want to take momentum into the playoffs and be playing

well,” said Brinkley, whose Sailor squads are 20-8 in the playoffs,

including section titles in 1994 and ’99 and runner-up finishes in ’92

and ’96.

“We tell our kids you either get better, or you get worse. I’m not

sure we were as mentally prepared to play last week (a 35-24 nonleague

win at Cathedral City) as we have been. You really have to be ready to

play every week and I hope we learned our lesson.”

The Wolverines will also need to be ready for senior tailback Chris

Manderino. The former quarterback has gained more than 100 yards in each

of his seven starts at tailback and has 1,312 rushing yards and 18

touchdowns this fall.

Junior Morgan Craig triggers the Sailors’ passing game. He has

completed 63 of 110 for 725 yards and six TDs, with only three

interceptions.

Junior Brian Gaeta leads Harbor receivers with 36 catches for 465

yards and three TDs.

Aliso’s offense has produced only three touchdowns against Sea View

foes. The Wolverines returned the opening kickoff for their only score in

last week’s 42-7 loss to Woodbridge, and kicked three field goals to help

earn a 23-19 over Laguna Hills Oct. 27.

Devon Sutton, with 125 rushing yards in league, is the leading ground

gainer for Coach Joe Wood.

Quarterback Joel Smith has thrown for 398 yards and two TDs in league

(29 of 74 with three interceptions), while Geoff Molinski has 22 catches

for 211 yards on the season.

Aliso played the Sailors tough last season, a 14-7 Newport win that

included a scoreless second half.