Win not enough for Tars

PLACENTIA — Not bound by the tug of subjectivity, a philosopher might suggest there’s a lesson in the second helping of coin-flip futility forced upon the Newport Harbor High football program Friday night.

But without the luxury of objectivity, Sailors Coach Jeff Brinkley found almost no words, and even less reason in the scene that brought a sudden halt to the postgame celebration after a 13-10 Sunset League win over host Esperanza at Valencia High.

Not more than 10 minutes after the Aztecs’ would-be game-tying field goal from 37-yards out sailed wide left with three seconds left, giving the Sailors (6-4, 3-2 in league) a piece of second place, a coin flip procedure held just outside one end zone ended their season for the second straight year.

Los Alamitos, which Newport Harbor defeated, but which upset Fountain Valley Thursday to move into the second-place logjam with the Barons and the Sailors, will follow league champion Edison as the Sunset’s No. 2 representative in the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs.

Fountain Valley, which defeated Newport, is the league’s No. 3 representative.

And the Sailors, barring a string of unforeseen outcomes that might allow them to secure the lone at-large berth, will sit out the postseason ... again.

Last season, Newport finished in a five-way tie for the league title, but failed to advance to the playoffs, by virtue of a random selection process.

As the bad news spread through their celebration like mustard gas Friday, Sailors players collapsed on the turf, most sobbing and some wailing in disappointment.

“If there was something I could do to change it, I would,” Brinkley told his players after calling them in to kneel for whatever solace he could provide.

Asked by reporters later if there were any words he could summon to explain the outcome, Brinkley, his voice cracking with emotion, deferred to the images of sadness around him.

“Look at these guys, who just had their hearts ripped out for the second year in a row, after they did exactly what we had to do,” Brinkley said. “We got our hearts ripped out by a [bleeping] coin flip. It’s [bologna].”

The Sailors certainly played with playoff urgency against the Aztecs (4-6, 1-4).