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NEWPORT BEACH — Newport Harbor and El Modena’s football teams packed the regular season with so many highlights that anticipation surged for their first-round game in the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs Friday.
Newport Harbor won its first outright league title since 2004. El Modena came one, last-second loss away from being 10-0.
Jordan Spigarelli and his defense made sure the Sailors added to their highlight reel.
Spigarelli passed for 278 yards and three touchdowns and Newport Harbor’s defense made two key stops on fourth down as the host Sailors rolled to a 28-7 victory.
Jackson Stremick caught two touchdowns and Ryder Godbold recorded two sacks to help power Newport Harbor (9-2) to its first playoff win under third-year coach Matthew Burns.
El Modena (9-2) entered with the higher Orange County ranking at No. 15 but the No. 21 Sailors won their seventh consecutive game and played like a team seeded fourth in Division 3.
“We’re not surprised at all,” said Spigarelli, who has 32 touchdown passes this season. “We believe fully in our team. We watched film on El Modena this week and we’re like ‘They’re very, very good but we definitely have a shot. We’re going to go after them.’ “
“The offense is firing,” he added, “and the defense is shutting everyone down.”
Newport Harbor advanced to the quarterfinals next week against the Villa Park-Apple Valley winner.
The Sailors took a 28-7 lead in the middle of the fourth quarter on Spigarelli’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Stremick.
The duo’s second touchdown connection came after an interception near mid-field by Shane McKibbin on a double-pass.
The Sailors mostly contained dual threat quarterback Ethan Sorenson and held the Vanguards to their lowest scoring output. Linebacker Jett Blauwkamp and linemen Owen Baldikoski and Theo McFarland contributed to the defensive effort.
“Defense played great,” Burns said. “Our guys are pretty resilient.”
El Modena cut into Newport Harbor’s 21-0 lead by starting the second half fast.
After a long kickoff return by Hayden Luong, Sorenson scored on a 6-yard run.
El Modena almost recovered an onside kick following the touchdown. Later in the third, the Sailors stopped the Vanguards on a fourth-and-2 from the Newport Harbor 17.
“If we couldn’t matchup (in the secondary), we were going to struggle,” El Modena coach Matt Mitchell said. “They’re athletic. They got options and the quarterback is good.”
Newport Harbor, the Epsilon League champion, led 21-0 at halftime behind Spigarelli.
The senior launched a 41-yard touchdown pass to McKibbin with 59 seconds left in the second quarter.
Coming out of a timeout by Newport Harbor, McKibbin beat two defenders to cap an 80-yard scoring drive that began with 2:56 left.
Earlier in the second period, Spigarelli led Newport Harbor on a 90-yard scoring drive.
He capped an eight-play march by lofting an 11-yard touchdown pass to Stremick, who made an over-the-shoulder grab for a 14-0 lead with 7:24 left.
Newport Harbor took a 7-0 lead on the first possession of the opening quarter.
Spigarelli punctuated a 75-yard scoring drive with a 14-yard touchdown run.
He finished the first half 10 of 11 passing for 196 yards, and with 56 yards rushing.
Newport Harbor’s defense followed the touchdown run by Spigarelli by stopping El Modena on a fourth down from the Sailors 13.
Newport Harbor beat El Modena for the first time in four meetings between the storied programs. The other games were 2025, 2024 and 1991.