Brinkley

It can be more difficult to put a legacy of one-quarter century into words than into one room. This was largely true Saturday night, when Newport Harbor High football coach Jeff Brinkley was celebrated by colleagues, former players, parents and community members for his momentous 25 seasons as the Sailors head coach. Nearly 250 came to the Balboa Pavilion to share memories and their appreciation for a special coach whose historic impact goes beyond his 208-90-3 record that includes the program's only three CIF Southern Section championships (1994, 1999 and 2005)

A large group of supporters gathered Saturday night at the Balboa Pavilion to laud Newport Harbor High football coach Jeff Brinkley for a remarkable 25 years of cherished memories. Not only has Brinkley transformed the program on the field - a 208-90-3 winning record including CIF Southern Section championships in 1994, 1999 and 2005 and 19 postseason appearances - but he has been a sterling teacher and has impacted generations of young lives. I have spent almost 40 years in the vortex of American football.

NEWPORT BEACH - A party is set up for Jeff Brinkley Saturday to honor his past 25 years as the coach of the Newport Harbor High football team. There are so many feats for Brinkley to celebrate with former players, colleagues and supporters during the bash. One of those isn't what happened Friday night. What transpired is a start to a season no one has ever seen under Brinkley's watch at Newport Harbor. The Sailors have begun the year 0-2 after losing 27-0 to Loyola of Los Angeles.

Now in his fifth decade as a high school football head coach, Jeff Brinkley embraces loyalty as enthusiastically as he relishes achievement on the field. The assertion that the former has increased the latter, particularly during 25-plus seasons at the helm of the Newport Harbor High Sailors, is beyond doubt. Loyalty will be a prominent theme Saturday night, when friends, former players, and supporters of the program gather to celebrate Brinkley's first 25 seasons as the Sailors' coach.

Those who are close to Coach Jeff Brinkley know he isn't much of a party guy. Yet, he is having a big bash on Sept. 17, the day after his Newport Harbor High football team plays its second game of the year. The Sailors are going to celebrate the man behind the program for the past 25 years. Brinkley calls the event at the Balboa Pavilion more of a fundraising one for his program. "Hopefully, there [are] some heavy hitters [coming]," Brinkley said with a laugh. Every player who has played for Brinkley or coached under him is invited.

LONG BEACH — Newport Harbor High's Jeff Brinkley tried to do something no other coach has been able to do in 32 years against a Los Alamitos team led by John Barnes. That's beat Barnes for a fourth straight year in Sunset League play. The Sailors fell very short of the feat Thursday night, as they lost to the Griffins, 30-0, in a vital league showdown at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach. The contest played out drastically differently to the previous four meetings between these two programs.

Plenty of bad news unfolded for Buzzy Yokoyama Friday night. A knee injury struck the Newport Harbor High junior tailback, who had been off to a hot start. Later, while at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, another reason to be sad came, as he was told the Sailors lost to San Clemente, 21-20, in overtime. But a bit of good news settled in the background. Yokoyama's MRI results showed his right kneecap had dislocated. The knee will not require surgery. Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley expects Yokoyama to return during the regular season.

The Newport Harbor High football team kicks off the season tonight against a program it last dropped an opener to eight years ago. The Sailors go for their eighth straight opening-game win when they play host to Trabuco Hills at 7. The streak started after Newport Harbor fell to the Mustangs in 2002, then the Sailors beat them the following season. Those two meetings are the only times Newport Harbor and Trabuco Hills have played. They might play again in November. The Mustangs moved to the South Coast League, which is part of the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division playoffs.

NEWPORT BEACH — The thick blue binders on a shelve inside Coach Jeff Brinkley's office at Newport Harbor High are of last season's schedule. Eleven games in all. Each game is broken down to an exact football science. Producing material for 14 games is the objective. The number means the Sailors will have reached the CIF Southern Section Pac-5 Division championship game. Brinkley and his staff are back at it again. They are preparing for the upcoming season, to put the Sailors in position to be successful.

Star's future unclear Brinkley says Newport Harbor prepared to move on without standout tailback Whitaker. David Carrillo Peñaloza david.carrillo@latimes.com Newport Harbor High's most elusive player from last season has been tough to chase down this summer for Coach Jeff Brinkley. Cedric Whitaker told the Daily Pilot last month that he has spent most of the summer in Oakland, while the Sailors trained. The first-team All-Sunset League tailback said he planned to return to Newport Beach this week and prepare for his final football season with the Tars.