Sailors welcome undefeated Corona del Mar for one of Newport Beach’s biggest nights of the year
There are football games, and then there is the Battle of the Bay.
On Thursday night, one of Orange County’s great high school football traditions returns to Davidson Field, as the Newport Harbor Sailors welcome crosstown rival Corona del Mar for another chapter in a rivalry that has been part of Newport Beach for generations.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Thursday, September 10, with Newport Harbor entering the game at 2–1 and Corona del Mar arriving at 3–0.
For the records, rankings and statistics, it’s an intriguing early-season matchup.
For the players, students, alumni and families of Newport Beach, it’s something entirely different.
It’s Battle of the Bay.
Sailors Have Plenty of Momentum of Their Own
Newport Harbor opened the 2026 season in impressive fashion, traveling to Hawaii and shutting out Nanakuli 41–0. The Sailors followed that with one of the most exciting wins of the young season, rallying from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat Murrieta Mesa 29–24 at Davidson Field.
That comeback showed something important about this Harbor team.
With just over a minute remaining, senior quarterback Jordan Spigarelli connected with senior receiver Ryan Palmer for the go-ahead 25-yard touchdown. It was Palmer’s second touchdown catch of the fourth quarter, and the Sailors’ defense held on in the frantic final seconds to secure the victory.
Harbor suffered its first setback the following week at Lancaster, falling 44–35, but the offense again showed its ability to put points on the board. Through three games, the Sailors have scored 105 points, an average of 35 per game.
Now they return home.
And there probably isn’t a better place to come home to than a packed Davidson Field with CdM standing on the opposite sideline.
Players to Watch for Newport Harbor
The Sailors have already shown that there isn’t just one player an opposing defense can focus on.
Senior quarterback Jordan Spigarelli has thrown for 675 yards through three games, including a four-touchdown, 253-yard performance in the season-opening victory over Nanakuli.
One of his biggest weapons has been senior Shane McKibbin, who leads Newport Harbor at 71 receiving yards per game. McKibbin announced himself loudly in Hawaii with seven receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
Then there’s Ryan Palmer, who delivered when Harbor needed him most against Murrieta Mesa, catching five passes for 76 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Senior Jackson Stremick gives Harbor another weapon who can impact the game in multiple ways. He currently leads the Sailors with four total touchdowns, while senior Matthew Yamakawa leads the team on the ground at 48.7 rushing yards per game.
Defensively, keep an eye on sophomore Ben Stremick, currently leading Newport Harbor at 11.3 tackles per game.
It’s a veteran Harbor group with playmakers on both sides of the ball — and quite a few of these seniors know exactly what Battle of the Bay football feels like.
CdM Comes to Davidson Undefeated
There’s no dancing around it: Corona del Mar has started the season extremely well.
The Sea Kings are 3–0, with victories over Lakewood (48–3), Santa Barbara (37–7) and Edison (27–7). They have outscored their opponents 112–17 through three games and are currently ranked No. 15 in the CIF Southern Section by MaxPreps.
Junior receiver JJ Haley has emerged as one of CdM’s biggest offensive threats, averaging 75 receiving yards per game and leading the Sea Kings with four touchdowns. Junior running back Trejan Nixon is averaging 63 rushing yards per game. On defense, junior linebacker Zack Cox leads the team with 10.3 tackles per game, while sophomore defensive back Nate Rothman already has two interceptions.
So yes, the Sailors will have their hands full Thursday night.
But Battle of the Bay has never been a game decided on paper.
Coach Burns Comes Into Rivalry Week With Some Hardware
There’s also a little extra momentum surrounding the Harbor sideline.
Head Coach Matt Burns was recently selected as a Los Angeles Chargers Tackle Coach of the Week, an honor recognizing Southern California high school football coaches for leadership both on and off the field.
It’s particularly fitting heading into this game.
Burns isn’t simply coaching in the Battle of the Bay. He grew up in it.
A 1994 Newport Harbor graduate, Burns played linebacker for the Sailors and was part of the 1992 Harbor team that defeated Corona del Mar in the CIF semifinals. He later spent years on the Newport Harbor coaching staff before taking over as head coach.
And he has already experienced one of the rivalry’s great moments from the head coach’s sideline.
In 2024, Burns’ first Battle of the Bay as head coach, Harbor trailed CdM before rallying at Davidson Field. With just 30 seconds remaining, Glenn Baranoski punched in the winning touchdown from two yards out to give Newport Harbor a 21–14 victory.
Another Chapter in a Newport Beach Tradition
What makes this rivalry different is that these aren’t simply two schools from neighboring cities.
They’re separated by only a few miles.
Many of these players grew up together. They played youth sports together. Their families know one another. They see each other around town.
For one night, however, Newport Beach divides into two sides.
Last year, former Harbor quarterback Jake Meer described players from the two programs competing against each other all the way back to second grade — from the Matt Leinart Flag Football League to Mariners Elementary versus Andersen and eventually Ensign versus CdM.
That’s the history these players inherit when they put on a Newport Harbor jersey.
Thursday night, the next group of Sailors gets its turn.
Defend Davidson
CdM comes in undefeated.
Harbor comes in battle-tested, dangerous offensively and back on its home field.
Forget the rankings. Forget the records.
For four quarters Thursday night, there is only Newport Harbor versus Corona del Mar.
Davidson Field. Under the lights. The student section packed. The community surrounding the field.
And another year’s worth of bragging rights waiting to be earned.
Battle of the Bay
Newport Harbor vs. Corona del Mar
Thursday, September 10, 2026
7:00 p.m.
Davidson Field
Pack the stands. Get loud. Defend the Bay.
GO SAILORS!