Football Preview: Newport Harbor vs. Tesoro

Newport Harbor (5-5) vs. Tesoro (8-2)

When/where: Friday, 7 p.m. at Tesoro High

Key Sailors: Sr. QB Cole Norris (175 of 277 passing for 2,338 yards, 28 TDs and seven INTs); Sr. WR-LB Keaton Cablay (68 catches for 887 yards and 13 TDs); Sr. LB-RB-WR Riley Gaddis (38 catches for 673 yards and eight TDs, five rushing TDs, one kickoff return for TD); Sr. DE-TE Brett Beaudette (10 sacks)

Key Titans: Jr. QB Devon Modster (166 of 286 passing for 2,069 yards, 19 TDs, nine INTs, 115 carries for 554 yards and 11 TDs); Jr. RB Anthony Battista (148 carries for 650 yards and six TDs); Jr. WR Carter Jaenichen (43 catches for 520 yards and seven TDs); Sr. WR Jake Smeltzer (33 catches for 615 yards and nine TDs)

Breakdown: Newport Harbor opens the CIF Southern Section West Valley Division playoffs against No. 4-seeded Tesoro … Tesoro finished second in the South Coast League, Newport Harbor third in the Sunset League … Sailors are making their 23rd postseason appearance in 29 years under Coach Jeff Brinkley, who has a record of 16-6 in playoff openers … Titans’ two setbacks came against La Mirada and Mission Viejo, who are the No. 2 seeds in their respective playoff divisions, La Mirada in the Southeast and Mission Viejo in the West Valley … Newport Harbor has two common nonleague opponents with Tesoro, both played Corona del Mar and San Clemente, which earned the top two seeds in the Southwest Division … Tesoro beat CdM, 28-14, and beat San Clemente, 59-38, while the Sailors lost to CdM, 28-18, and lost to San Clemente, 47-24 … Newport Harbor lost in the Southwest Division finale last year, the Titans fell in the Pac-5 Division quarterfinals … Newport Harbor and Tesoro are meeting for the first time in football.

— David Carrillo Peñaloza