The Jackrabbits, the 2007 Pac-5 champs, will play host to the Sailors Sept. 19 at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach. Harbor believes playing against an elite program like Poly will only help its chances in the Pac-5 Division and the rough Sunset League.
This will be the Sailors third year in the Pac-5 and the Sunset. They missed the playoffs in 2006 and played for the league title last fall. But they fell way short in the game for the Sunset League title, suffering their worst loss in 40 years, losing, 47-0, to Edison.
However, Harbor, which finished 8-4 last year, bounced back in a big way in the playoffs with an emotional victory at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks. And, games against Poly will only help the program, the Sailors contend.
“When [the CIF Southern Section] put us in [the Pac-5], we knew we had to figure out how to compete on that level,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said. “There’s probably not a better team that’s had more success than Poly, so you might as well see what it takes to compete with those guys then you get a pretty good measurement for yourself.”
Brinkley is not sure how many more seasons his Sailors will play against the Jackrabbits.
“There’s one more that I know of and that’s this year, and we’ll figure it out after that,” said Brinkley, who would like to continue to play against Poly.
McDonald is certainly excited about the Jackrabbits. Actually, he’s anxious about the season in general. He said he feels stronger, having gained close to 25 pounds. He started last year around 155 pounds, and he said he’s nearly at 180.
