Eagles 14 - Woodbridge 0
IRVINE, CA., October 1, 1993 – In the Sea View League opener the Eagles face undefeated Woodbridge, and the defense turned in one of the finest games in SM history for a 14-0 win.
Both offenses struggled throughout the game, but two interceptions by Brad Finneran and three fumble recoveries led to second two second quarter touchdowns.
The first came after Chris Collins recovered a fumble. Moments later Derek Yankoff hit Brad Finneran for a 9-yard touchdown pass.
The second score was set up on an option pass from Chris Collins to Brad Finneran. Again Yankoff, found Brian Finneran on a slant pass from 13 yards to give the Eagles a 14-0 lead at half.
From then on the defenses were flawless, but SM was able to control the ball in the final quarter to keep the Warriors in check.
Some of the high points defensively were holding Warrior quarterback Matt Sauk to a 3-17 performance for only 13 yards.
The defense also dropped him for 57 yards in losses.
The Eagles (4-0,1-0) moved to eighth in the OC Football Poll with the win.
"I thought the defense played extremely well," said Coach Jim Hartigan. "If you the game we were going to shut out Woodbridge, I would have said it would take a heck of an effort - against any Sea View team."
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Woodbridge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SM – Brian Finneran 9 pass from Yankoff( Korinke kick)
SM – Brian Finneran 13 pass from Yankoff (Korinke kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: Collins 10-53, Yankoff 13-63
Passing: Yankoff 12-31-1, 162, .387%, 2 TD
Receiving: Brian Finneran 6-101, Brad Finneran 4-97, Griffin 2-16
Defense: Brad Finneran 2 tackles, 2 int; Brian Finneran 9 tackles; Collins
5 tackles, 1 caused fumble, 1 recovered fumble
Brian Finneran scored both touchdowns, had 6 catches for 101 yards and recorded 9 tackles
Held down, Santa Margarita's Eagles still fly
IRVINE – Fourteen points turned out to be 14 too many.
"If you would have told me before the game that we would hold that team to 14 points, I'd say we'd win," Woodbridge coach Rick Gibson said.
But that was enough points for Santa Margarita to beat
Woodbridge, as the Eagles shut out the Warriors, 14-0, Friday at Irvine High in the Sea View League opener for both teams.
Santa Margarita had averaged 34 points going into Friday's game.
Woodbridge (3-1) turned the ball over five times and punted seven times. The Warriors produced 13 yards passing and 31 rushing in losing their first game, dropping to 3-1.
Santa Margarita, ranked ninth in Orange County, improved to 4-0, a record probably better than expected from a team with only three returning starters.
But two of those returnees are the Finneran twins, seniors Brad and Brian. They made enough big plays between them to make the difference in Friday's game.
Brian caught two touchdown passes and made the defensive play of the game in the fourth quarter, tackling Rick Jenkins on a reverse for a 16-yard loss that pushed Woodbridge back to the Eagles' 44, stopping Woodbridge's best offensive drive. Brian Finneran finished with six receptions for 99 yards.
Brad Finneran made two interceptions and had four receptions for 109 yards.
"They've kept us in all four ball games," Santa Margarita coach Jim Hartigan said of the Finnerans. "With those guys, we're always going to be in the hunt."
A Woodbridge fumble, recovered by the Eagles' Chris Collins at the Warriors' 38, led to Santa Margarita's first score. A 29-yard completion from Derek Yankoff to Brad Finneran got the Eagles to the Warriors' 9, from where Yankoff hit Brian Finneran on a slant-in pattern for a 7-0 lead with 10:49 left in the half.
Later in the quarter, a 53-yard option pass from Collins to Brad Finneran set up another Yankoff-to-Brian Finneran scoring connection, this one a 13-yarder on a similar slant-in pattern, to give the Eagles a 14-0 lead they took into the third quarter.
That turned out to be more than enough for Santa Margarita.
"Defensively, we played really good football," Hartigan said. "Hats off to the defensive coaches and the defensive players. They kept us in this game."
Santa Margarita plays Corona del Mar next Friday at Newport Harbor High. Woodbridge plays Saddleback on Thursday at Santa Ana Stadium.
By Steve Fryer
Saturday, October 2, 1993
The Orange County Register - D14
