Newport Harbor escapes wild finish with win over Dana Hills

NEWPORT BEACH - Time expired as Conner St. Clair’s 40-yard field goal attempt sailed toward the goal post. Dana Hills’ comeback bid whistled by the right upright, and the stadium sat in silence, waiting for the call. The officials conferred, then signaled.

No good.

Newport Harbor players, coaches and fans rushed their home field, screaming, hugging and high-fiving. But wait. Check the flag.

The Sailors had been penalized for the 11th time. Running into the kicker. St. Clair would have another shot, this time from 35 yards.

A similar sequence: Snap, kick, anxiety, held breath. Seconds later, Dana Hills players rushed the field, as the Dolphins’ travelling crowd erupted.

But wait. Check the refs. Their signal: No good.

Newport Harbor, once again, rushed the field. This time, there were no flags. The Sailors had escaped a wacky offensive showcase, 25-24.

"It looked good from where we were standing," said Dana Hills quarterback Sean Schroeder, who completed 26 of 39 passes for 298 yards and three touchdowns. "We thought we won, and we didn’t. It’s a horrible feeling."

Sailors quarterback Andrew McDonald, who threw for 183 and a touchdown on 14-of-20 passing, could not bring himself to the sideline for either kick.

"I didn’t even watch," he said. "I was on the bench with my hands on my face."

Both offenses ran roughshod over the opposing defense, but they all feared they had done enough to give away the game.

Dana Hills turned the ball over on its first two offensive plays of the second half. For Newport, McDonald and Michael Helfrich, who rushed for 93 yards and scored two touchdowns, each lost fumbles.

The Dolphins rallied from a 25-12 deficit to score fourth-quarter touchdowns, with 6:45 and 5:59 remaining.

Click here for full game stats.

Contact the writer: jkay@ocregister.com