Eagles 13 - Servite 12
Servite falls, 13-12, as 2-point try fails
COSTA MESA, CA., October 10, 1991 – Santa Margarita stopped Servite's attempt for a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to upset the sixth-ranked and previously undefeated Friars, 13-12, on Thursday night at Orange Coast College.
Servite (4-1) scored a touchdown with 2:58 left to cut the Eagles' lead to one and elected to go for two points to win.
"I told the kids that this was nothing new for us," Santa Margarita coach Jim Hartigan said. "I told them, 'It's ballgame time.”
The Eagles (2-3) lost to Valley Christian last week, 21-19, when their attempt for a game-winning field goal was blocked. Two weeks ago, the Eagles lost to University, 13-12, when they failed to make a two-point conversion.
Servite sent Michael Lund over Ieft guard, but Santa Margarita's Joe Winkelmann got underneath Lund and Tim Sulick grabbed Lund from behind to stop him at the 2.
It was Santa Margarita's first game against another Orange County parochial school and its first against a Division I opponent.
Josh Ireland rushed for 117 yards on 17 carries and scored the game's first touchdown, a 5-yard run in the first quarter.
Servite's Ken Mousseau scored on a 4-yard run early in the second quarter, but Jeff Malone's kick for the game-tying extra point was wide to the left. It proved to be a crucial miss.
Eagles quarterback Sean O'Brien was not expected to start, having missed some practices this week because of the flu. But backup Kevin Duffy tore ligaments in his right ankle Wednesday, so O'Brien played and kicked field goals of 35 and 21 yards.
On the defense:
In addition to assisting on the tackle of Lund on the crucial two-point conversion attempt, Winkelmann also made two hits on Servite quarterback Eric Hannah during Servite's final drive, forcing Hannah to throw incompletions.
Noteworthy:
Servite starting quarterback Josh Nelson, suffering from the flu, did not suit up. Hannah replaced him.
| Santa Margarita | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Servite | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
SM – Ireland 5 run (O'Brien kick)
SER – Lund 6 run (kick failed)
SM – FG O'Brien 35
SM – FG O'Brien 21
SER – Correa 58 pass from Hannah (run failed)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: Ser - Lund 15-56, Mousseau 9-38; SM - Ireland 17-117. O'Brien 20-83
Passing: Ser - Hannah 4-12-1-81; SM - O'Brien 5-11-0-59
Receiving: Ser - Lund 2-12, Correa 1-58; SM - Brad Finneran 3-37, Brian Finneran 1-12
By Steve Fryer
Friday, October 11, 1991
The Orange County Register - C8
