Chris Manderino

Singularly skilled Barry Faulkner Whether chosen based on superstition or envy, or merely assigned by pure chance, one's jersey number frequently provides a clue as to how they approach the game. But, on the rarest of occasions, an athlete's number not only reveals his role on the team, but, in a single, succinct, distinctive digit, defines his character. Such is the case with Newport Harbor High junior Chris Manderino, who embodies the No. 1 he wears for the Sailors football team.

Gamebusters Last week's high school football plays of 30 yards or more 42 - Mitch Gray (Newport Harbor) pass from Morgan Craig. 36 - Brian Gaeta (Newport Harbor) pass from Morgan Craig. 35 - Chris Manderino (Newport Harbor) run. 33 - Chris Manderino (Newport Harbor) run. Gamestoppers Last week's big defensive plays NEWPORT HARBOR - End Garrett Troncale stood up Stanford-bound lead blocker Chris Rudiger and wrapped up the tailback for no gain ... Dane Barton blocked a conversion kick after La Mirada's first TD ... Tyler Miller and Cory Ray each had big hits on kickoff returners ... Middle linebacker Alan Saenz buried a receiver after a short gain, one of several "aah-inspiring" hits to excite the Harbor faithful ... Tackle Nick Moghaddam applied pressure on the quarterback, forcing a hurried throw which linebacker Chris Manderino nearly intercepted ... Moghaddam and end Joe Foley combined for a 5-yard sack ... Noseguard C.J. Collins shed his blocker and wrapped up a ballcarrier for 3-yard loss ... Cornerback Brian Gaeta intercepted a pass ... Manderino startled the crowd by planting a receiver over the middle on a short gain ... Saenz and fellow linebacker Andy Rankin combined on a pad-popping tackle ... Foley corralled the QB on a scramble on third-and-goal and cornerback Ryan Spruth did the same on fourth-and-goal, resulting in a 3-yard loss ...

Name: Chris Manderino Born: Dec. 22, 1982 Hometown: Newport Beach Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 205 Sport: Football Position: Tailback-linebacker Coach: Jeff Brinkley Favorite food: Italian food Favorite movie: "Varsity Blues" Best athletic moment: "Winning CIF (a Southern Section Division VI football title last year, resulting from an 19-18 title-game triumph over Sea View League rival...

1. Football, led by All-CIF Southern Section seniors Chris Manderino and Alan Saenz, thumps top-seeded and unbeaten La Mirada, 35-16, in semifinal "upset" en route to runner-up finish in CIF Division VI. 2. Water polo, led by CIF Southern Section Division I and Sea View League Player of the Year Peter Belden, wins Division I crown, the school's first section title since 1984. 3. Olympian Aaron Peirsol, a junior, wins two individual CIF Southern Section Division I titles and chips in on two relay victories to lead Tars to third-place finish at section finals.

Former Newport Harbor High football star Chris Manderino, a redshirt freshman at UC Berkeley, has been named the starting fullback for the Golden Bears' opener Saturday against visiting Baylor. Manderino, who received no Division I-A scholarship offers after amassing 2,141 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior tailback in 2000, has also been awarded a full scholarship by first-year coach Jeff Tedford, said Chris' father, Paul Manderino. The younger Manderino, who quarterbacked the 1999 Sailors to the CIF Southern Section Division VI title, then led the Tars to the 2000 Division VI championship game en route to being named All-CIF and the Newport-Mesa District Most Valuable Player, won the job with an impressive spring and fall camp.

Corona del Mar High began its CIF Southern Section Southern Division title defense on a high note. The top-seeded Sea Kings blanked Anaheim, 35-0, in the first round last Thursday at Newport Harbor High. CdM (9-2), winners of seven straight, advanced to the quarterfinals for the third straight year. Next is Los Amigos (8-3), which defeated Estancia, 41-14, in the first round at Jim Scott Stadium. The Sea Kings and Los Amigos will meet in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

Former Orange Coast College football standout Jesse Mahelona will open his first NFL season Sunday as a member of the Tennesee Titans. Mahelona, a 6-foot-1, 300-pound defensive tackle, made the roster after being chosen in the fifth round, 169th overall, in the NFL Draft in April out of Tennessee. Former Newport Harbor High standout Chris Manderino, a free-agent fullback out of Cal, was waived by the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday. Kevin McMahan, Mr. Irrelevant XXXI, who was celebrated at the annual Irrelevant Week festivities in Newport Beach in June, was cut by the Raiders on Saturday.

Mr. Irrelevant, the title bestowed on the player picked last in the annual NFL Draft that opens today, may not be the only selection that makes news in Newport-Mesa this year. The 255th and final pick, scheduled to be made by the Oakland Raiders and announced live from the podium by Irrelevant Week founder Paul Salata on Sunday, will become Mr. Irrelevant XXXI. He will be celebrated during Irrelevant Week festivities, tentatively scheduled for June 11-17 in Newport Beach. The annual celebration of the underdog, the brain child of Salata ?

Barry Faulkner Chris Manderino came to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Saturday to help his Cal football team make history. But he nearly made some of his own. Manderino, a former Newport Harbor High star and a three-year starter at fullback for the No. 7-ranked Golden Bears, rushed three times for 15 yards and caught two passes for 21 more in Cal's 23-17 Pac-10 loss to No. 1-ranked USC (5-0, 2-0 in conference)....

Barry Faulkner Chris Manderino, a former Newport Harbor High football star in his third season as the starting fullback at Cal, will try to help the No. 7-ranked Golden Bears upset No. 1 USC today at 12:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Coliseum. A 6-foot-1, 220-pound redshirt junior and former walk-on, Manderino has three rushing attempts for 16 yards and two receptions for 10 yards this season for the offense ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division I-A in scoring (48.7 points per game)

Late in California's 46-22 upset at then-No. 15 Michigan State, Bears starting fullback Chris Manderino looked up to his father, Paul, in the stands and gave him a look as if to say, "What do you think of your Spartans now?" Throughout Manderino's childhood, the father would tell the son, the greatness of the Michigan State program. Paul played football there from 1971-1974. Paul went last week to see his son play. He was also there to see most of the 74,000 Michigan State fans leave early.

Barry Faulkner Though perhaps at the end of a long and winding road, Pocatello, Idaho could see a significant boost in its tourism trade this fall, if, as expected, dozens of NFL scouts descend upon the Idaho State campus to evaluate arguably the nation's best collegiate punter. Eddie Johnson, a product of Newport Harbor High and Orange Coast College, averaged 46.3 yards per punt as junior last season, which led to consensus Division I-AA All-American honors, as well as growing speculation about his promising professional future.

Chris Manderino's dream came true with 10 minutes, 41 seconds remaining before halftime in his first collegiate football game against visiting Baylor Saturday. Manderino, UC Berkeley's starting fullback who starred at Newport Harbor High, scored his first touchdown in the college ranks. "It was amazing," he said. "It was a pretty awesome moment." The touchdown symbolized Manderino's surprising rise to NCAA Division I-A football. How fitting.

Barry Faulkner Entering his 25th season as a prep head coach, his 17th at the helm of Newport Harbor High's Sailors, Jeff Brinkley, by far the winningest football coach in Newport-Mesa history, has been around long enough to be considered a throwback. But with two CIF Southern Section championships, three other section runner-up finishes and two additional trips to the section semifinals during the last 10 seasons, there has been nothing backward about the run of success Brinkley's Sailors have enjoyed.