For most of the timeout, Brinkley used it to state his case.
The plea made no difference.
It did not matter because the Sailors took care of business, earning their first Sunset League victory of the season with a 35-6 rout at Davidson Field Friday night.
The way Brinkley sees the final two regular-season games, Newport Harbor (5-3, 1-2 in league) must win out to earn one of the league’s three automatic playoff berths.
“The start of the playoffs for us,” Brinkley told his Sailors before the game.
They proved they are worthy of returning to the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs for the second straight year if they continue to out-muscle teams like they did Esperanza, which shared the league championship last season.
The Aztecs (6-2, 2-1) squeaked by their first two league games with three-point victories.
The only squeaking heard at Newport Harbor were the orange and black balloons during the Halloween homecoming celebration.
By the time those popped, Newport Harbor’s defense had already popped the Aztecs.
Esperanza is not a team that can play catch-up. The Sailors grounded the Aztecs’ running game with a gang-tackling effort. One led to a defensive touchdown midway through the second quarter.
Cornerback JB Green picked up running back Jared Moore’s fumble on Esperanza’s 10 and easily scored, giving Newport Harbor a 21-6 lead.
This contest was not close at halftime as the previous two league contests were for both teams.
Andrew McDonald’s right arm played a major role as to why the Sailors took control.
The senior quarterback competed 11 of 14 passes for 139 yards and one touchdown in the first half.
Contributing to McDonald’s success was his ability to spread the ball around. He connected with six players.
