Ex-Sailor Holmes still possesses game

Newport Beach resident Jamie Holmes, Newport Harbor High class of 1973, still has game.

How much game, exactly, is what Holmes will try to prove today at the sixth annual Newport Harbor High alumni basketball tournament.

Holmes has been tournament director since its inception, but he’s not content to sit on the sidelines. He has no reason to do that, not after playing basketball for more than 40 years and still hooping it up three times a week.

Holmes, 51, will be the oldest participant at the eight-team tournament, which begins at Newport Harbor High at 9 a.m. with pool play. The format continues with single-elimination play.

“I’m a basketball nut,” Holmes said. “I like the rhythm of the sport. You’re constantly in action. And I like the fact that you match up with a guy on offense, then you have to try to shut him down on defense.”

Holmes said he started the tournament six years ago after seeing how successful the Jack Errion Memorial Corona del Mar alumni basketball tournament had become. That tournament is in its 18th year.

“I was jealous of all my friends from CdM,” he said. “I was always saying that Newport Harbor should start one of its own, and no one did it, so I thought I should do it.”

Alumni basketball teammate Peter Helfrich (Class of 1980) said Holmes will be one of the better players in the Newport Harbor tournament. Their team also consists of the “new breed” ? Alex Orth and Dakota Ortiz graduated from Newport Harbor High in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

Also on the team is current Newport Harbor High junior varsity coach Gary Robinson (Class of 1999), who helped Newport Harbor High into the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA quarterfinals during his senior year.

“For the guys who are a little older, it’s great to see some guys you haven’t seen in awhile,” Helfrich said. “It’s also a chance to play competitively and have some fun.”

Holmes said he played basketball five or six days a week for about 35 years, before four knee surgeries took their toll.

Still, he plays bigger than his 6-foot-3 height.

“I feel like I can keep up, but others may disagree,” he said modestly. “I’m just blue-collar. I just bang and go for rebounds and hustle.”

Basketball definitely runs in the Holmes family. His son, David, is on the Newport Harbor High varsity squad and younger son Cameron is also in the program.

“I’ve got to last three more years in this tournament so I can play against [both sons],” Jamie Holmes said. “Next year, I’ll either draft [David] or I’ll guard him.”

As for the alumni tournament, the player the rest of the teams are aiming to beat is Justin McIntee, Newport Harbor High class of 1992. His team has won the tournament three of the five previous years, and McIntee wasn’t entered in the tournament in the other two years.

“Everyone’s always trying to beat Justin,” Holmes said with a laugh. “I keep telling him, ‘Don’t worry about it, Father Time will do that all on his own.’ Though, it may not be this year. He’s strong and jumps great.”

Helfrich said their team still has a good shot at dethroning the champion.

“We’re maybe missing a little size, but that’s OK,” Helfrich said. “We’ll still give it a good go.”

Also playing in the tournament are Sailors Coach Larry Hirst and assistant Bob Torribio (class of 1995).

The $25 registration fee, which includes all games and a T-shirt, goes to benefit the Newport Harbor basketball program.