San Juan Hills Breaks Newport Harbor’s League Winning Streak (2024)

San Juan Capistrano – Stallion Stadium

Newport Harbor’s three-game winning streak came to an abrupt end Friday night, as they fell 30-7 to San Juan Hills in a hard-fought Bravo League matchup. Despite a strong effort from the Sailors’ defense, the offense struggled to find rhythm, managing only 81 total yards throughout the game. 

Newport Harbor’s lone bright spot came from Sammy Stremick, who electrified the crowd with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, bringing the Sailors within two points at 9-7 in the second quarter. Stremick’s kickoff return was more than Newport Harbor’s entire offensive production by that point. The team only had 32 yards at halftime, and the San Juan Hills defense proved too tough to break. 

“We played them tough in the first half, made some plays, got some stops, but we didn’t make tackles,” said Newport coach Matt Burns. “I wasn’t upset by the score. But we couldn’t get anything going on offense because we were on D all the time.”

Newport quarterback Jake Meer completed 14 of 18 passes for 95 yards but faced relentless pressure from the San Juan Hills defense, being sacked three times. The Sailors’ offense, which had shown promise in recent weeks, couldn’t sustain drives against a dominant defensive performance from the Stallions.

Despite the loss, Newport Harbor will look to bounce back as they prepare for their next league game, hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive.