Newport Harbor: “Better than we look”

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Eric Tweit, the athletic director at Newport Harbor, surveyed the field at halftime. To that point, the highlight of Newport’s game against Long Beach Poly was the band’s performance. He lamented something about the game besides the 21-0 score -- I think it was the officiating, or maybe it was the disparity of talent, although I’m leaning toward the officiating.

‘I’m not saying we’d beat them,’ Tweit said, ‘but we’re better than we look.’

Turned out to be true. Although 10th-ranked Poly outscored Harbor in the second half, 13-7, to make the final score 34-7, it was hard to walk away from Davidson Field thinking that the Sailors weren’t competing on an equal playing field over the final 24 minutes. They put together a terrific drive that covered 75 yards in 11 plays, which culminated with Ben Frazier’s six-yard touchdown. The drive was unaided by penalties.

Then they delivered a goal-line stand on the ensuing series, shutting out the Jackrabbits three times from the three-yard line after Poly had driven from its 42.

Poly’s second-half scores came on its final two drives, one of 36 yards and then 92 yards with its backup quarterback scoring with 24 seconds left in the game.

- Martin Henderson