Newport Harbor worn down by Lakewood
LAKEWOOD Before Friday night’s game against Lakewood, injured Newport Harbor running back Cedric Whitaker said he might be healthy enough to play next week.
But the Sailors needed him this week.
Without Whitaker, whose partial tear of a ligament in his right knee prevented him from playing, Newport Harbor kept the game close for a half but fell to host Lakewood, 41-17, in a CIF-SS Pac-5 Division first-round playoff game.
The Lancers (10-1), seeded fourth, will play Bishop Amat of La Puente in the quarterfinals next week.
The Sailors (6-5) finish their season after tying for second in the Sunset League and qualifying for the playoffs as an at-large team.
“Our guys played hard to the end,” Newport Harbor coach Jeff Brinkley said.
“Sometimes, you are just out-manned.”
Newport Harbor also played the second half without quarterback Austin Rios, who separated his throwing shoulder on a hit after a touchdown pass to Kellon Truxton late the second quarter.
Newport Harbor led, 10-0, after Buzzy Yokoyama took the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and, after a turnover, Dillan Freiberg booted a 34-yard field goal.
Despite three consecutive scores by the Lancers, Truxton’s touchdown catch on a tipped pass pulled the Sailors to 21-17 at halftime.
But the Lancers asserted themselves in the second half, scoring on all three possessions to pull away.
Without its top players on offense Harbor could not maintain the pace.
The Sailors managed 154 total yards, seven first downs and were 2 for 8 on third down.
“They wore us down at the end,” Brinkley said.
“Lakewood is very physical defensively. They kept seven players in the box and we couldn’t run against them.”
Lakewood, on the other hand, mixed passing by USC-commit Jesse Scroggins (16 of 20, 234 yards) and rushing by Scroggins and three running backs to churn up yards. The Lancers rushed for 156 yards in the second half, including 48 on the opening possession coming out of the locker room.
That drive, a 15-play, 75-yardmarch, took eight minutes off the clock and lifted Lakewood to a 10-point lead that it never relinquished.
"We knew Newport Harbor wouldn’t lay down for us," Lakewood coach Thadd McNeal said. "But our defense is really good, and we’re pretty good at stopping the run."
