Newport Harbor rolls past Huntington Beach to get second league win

After losing four consecutive games, the Newport Harbor football team has won back-to-back games. Running back Payton Irving finished with 221 total yards and Johnny Chaix blocked two punts to help the Sailors in a 45-27 win over Huntington Beach on Friday at Davidson Field.

“When you start league season, it’s a whole new season,” Newport Harbor head coach Peter Lofthouse. “You get to throw out the records and you start fresh. For our kids, they felt rejuvenated because of that.”

Newport Harbor blocked a Tyler Moses punt and recovered it at the Oilers 8-yard line. Two plays later, AJ Moore hit Irving out of the backfield for a 6-yard touchdown.

Chaix broke through untouched and blocked another punt, this time he scooped it and dove into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown. Chaix 2nd block punt and score gave the Sailors a 14-0 lead with 3:34 left in the first quarter.

Huntington Beach answered on the ensuing drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass from AJ Perez to Moses. The Sailors added a 42-yard field goal to extend its lead 17-7 in the second quarter. The 42-yard field goal by Jon Richardson was the sophomore's career best.

After the Sailors’ defense forced a turnover on downs, Moore was intercepted by Jordan Castro. On the next play, Hideo Ray made a sensational 39-yard one-handed catch in the end zone for the score. HB trailed 17-14 with 8:55 left in the second quarter.

Newport Harbor came right back with an 11-play, 69-yard drive that was capped with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Moore to Kashton Henjum. HB only trailed 24-20 after Perez connected with Ray once again, this time on a 42-yard touchdown.

The Sailors took a 31-20 lead into halftime on Irving’s 7-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left in the second quarter. Irving added a 20-yard touchdown run in the third quarter (his third of the game) to give Newport Harbor a 38-20 lead.

“Our o-line came to play today,” Irving said. “The holes opened up. We knew what we had to do and we came to do it.”

Perez threw his fourth touchdown of the game when hit Moses for 19 yards to cut the lead 38-27. After some good HB defensive, the Oilers got the ball back, but their drive was interrupted by junior defensive back Garrett Emerson's interception.  The Sailors put the game away on Moore’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Josiah Lamarque with 4:57 left in the fourth quarter.

Newport Harbor will take on Corona Del Mar next Friday in the Battle of the Bay. Huntington Beach will host Los Alamitos.

Stand by for more stats and updated.