PREP EXTRA: SATURDAY FOOTBALL PULLOUT : Newport Harbor Edges Corona del Mar

NEWPORT BEACH — Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley admitted he could live with it, but the Sailors’ 7-6 victory over Corona del Mar was anything but pretty.

Newport Harbor (7-0, 2-0) lost five fumbles, all in Sea King territory, but held on to remain undefeated in front of 5,000 at home.

“Very ugly . . . but we’ll take it any way we can get it,” said Brinkley, whose Sailors entered the game as the top-ranked Division V team.

“We haven’t had a turnover in the last three games, then we came out tonight and just couldn’t hold on to the football.”

It was a fumble that sealed Corona del Mar’s fate. A botched snap at the Sailor seven-yard line with 20 seconds remaining ended the Corona del Mar drive and its hopes.

“We decided that we were going to run a (quarterback) keeper, because it’s a safe play to set up the field goal,” Sea King Coach Mark Schuster said. “I guess it’s a learning experience.”

The Sea Kings (3-4, 1-1) began their final drive on their 25-yard line, but a 38-yard gain by quarterback Josh Walz, the game’s longest offensive play, took the Sea Kings to the Sailor 24.

Four running plays brought the Sea Kings to the seven-yard line, before Jack Hogan’s fumble recovery sealed the victory for Newport Harbor.

Corona del Mar opened the scoring after a three-play, 10-yard drive was capped by J.J. DiCesare’s four-yard run. The extra point was blocked.

An interception by Scott Sandstrom gave the Sailors the ball at the Sea King eight-yard line. John Giordani found the end zone three plays later on an eight-yard quarterback keeper.