Two-minute drill

Newport Harbor lost starting tailback Cedric Whitaker and backup Drew Diller to injuries before Friday’s CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division first-round playoff game at No. 4-seeded Lakewood.

When the Sailors saw quarterback Austin Rios go down with a dislocated, left, non-throwing shoulder after he threw a 35-yard touchdown pass that cut the deficit to four points before halftime, the offense stopped consistently moving the ball.

The Lancers dominated the second half, scoring three touchdowns and shutting down the Sailors to advance to the quarterfinals with a 41-17 victory.

The injuries took a toll on the Sailors’ offense. Newport Harbor (6-5) went almost 14 minutes in the second half without getting a first down.

“When you go play them, you better be at full strength,” Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said of the Lancers (10-1), ranked No. 6 in the state by CalHiSports.com. “They’re a good football team. They’re very physical defensively and very athletic.”

 Estancia would have found it tough enough to move the ball in Friday’s 34-7 loss to Laguna Hills in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs. An injury to the Eagles’ center didn’t help matters.

Coach Mike Bargas said junior center Diego Moya rolled his ankle during the game. With Moya sidelined and the Eagles forced to turn to a backup, they weren’t able to operate their offense as effectively.

“We couldn’t shotgun the ball,” said Bargas, who also saw some bad snaps on special teams, though junior punter John Diego made up for it with some quick kicks. The one time he couldn’t, the punt was blocked and recovered by Laguna Hills in the end zone to create a 27-0 lead early in the second half.

 Sage Hill made its basic offensive scheme work as it took a 17-6 halftime lead over visiting Grace Brethren of Simi Valley in the first round of the CIF Southern Section East Valley Division playoffs Friday.

But the Lancers clearly made the necessary halftime adjustments on both sides of the ball.

Sage managed just six yards and one first down in the final two periods, as its first five second-half possessions went three-and-out.

 There are sure to be several key returners for Costa Mesa High, which lost to Santiago, 24-6, in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs Friday. But one player to watch is Andrew Albers, Coach Jeremy Osso said.