Mortensen’s Eight Sacks Power Newport Harbor Past Saint Joseph, Score 14-0 (2025)

Newport Beach – Davidson Field (NHHS)

In a matchup between two of Southern California’s most dominant flag football programs, Newport Harbor proved its defense could stand tall against any offense, defeating Saint Joseph 14-0 on Monday afternoon at Davidson Field.

Both teams were coming in hot—Newport Harbor riding high off its 27-7 win over Edison, and Saint Joseph fresh off a 36-6 victory over Serra—but the Sailors’ defensive front completely controlled the game from start to finish.

The first half was a defensive showcase. Neither team found the end zone as both quarterbacks, Scarlett Guyser for Newport Harbor and Lexi Loya for Saint Joseph, were under constant pressure. The Sailors’ defensive line, led by Eva Mortensen, made life miserable for the Jesters’ offense. Mortensen was unstoppable, recording eight sacks in one of the most dominant individual defensive performances of the season.

Newport Harbor finally broke through in the third quarter when Guyser scored on a 7-yard run with 8:09 left. She then converted the PAT herself on a quarterback rush, giving the Sailors a 7-0 lead.

In the closing minute of the game, Newport Harbor sealed the win in dramatic fashion. On a broken play that turned into an improvised lateral, Aliyah Chappell took a lateral from Guyser and sprinted 66 yards to the end zone with just 50 seconds left. Guyser followed with a PAT pass to Jocelyn DeTemple, capping the 14-0 shutout.

With the victory, Newport Harbor improved to 19-2 overall and remained unbeaten in league play, while Saint Joseph dropped to 16-2. The Sailors’ defense has now allowed just seven total points over their last two games.