Eagles 34 - Newport Harbor 21
MISSION VIEJO, CA., November 10, 1995 – The playoffs were on the line for both teams in week ten. A win for either team would mean an automatic playoff spot. A loss meant for either was the end of the season. The Eagles looked a little sluggish in the first quarter, but exploded for 26 points in the second behind two scores each by Damien Minna and Eric Brown. The Sailors came out in the second half with a score to cut the lead to 26-14, but Chris Collins hit Billy O'Connor from 11-yards out to give SM a 34-14 advantage. Newport scored late in the fourth quarter to cut into the lead, but the Eagles held on easily to advance to the CIF playoffs. The win qualified the Eagles as the third place representative.
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 26 | 8 | 0 | 34 |
| Newport Harbor | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
NH – Urban 1 run (Kerr kick)
SM – Brown 2 pass from Collins (Zaist kick)
SM – Minna 16 run (Zaist kick)
SM – Brown 60 pass from Collins (kick failed)
SM – Minna 12 run (run failed)
NH – Allen 76 pass from Fredriksen (Kerr kick)
SM – O'Connor 11 pass from Collins (O'Connor run)
NH – Pulido 6 pass from Fredriksen (Kerr kick)
OFFENSIVE LEADERS
Rushing: Minna 8-75, Newman 16-64
Passing: Collins 12-19-1-209
Receiving: Brown 8-145, Nickels 2-42
Scoring: Minna 2TDs, Brown 2 TDs, O'Connor 1 + 2-point PAT, Zaist 2 PATs
DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Tackles: O'Connor 4, Mannix 3, Baier 2, Grzecka 2, Bysziewski 2, Pichler 2
Asst. Tackles: Grzecka 6, Long 5, Pichler 2, B. Jackson 2
Interceptions: Nickels 1
Other: Berg 1 sack, Long .5 sack, Zaist .5 sack, Baier 1 fumble recovery
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Santa Margarita secures playoff bid
MISSION VIEJO, CA., November 10, 1995 – Santa Margarita captured the Sea View League's third and final guaranteed playoff berth with a 34-21 victory over Newport Harbor on Friday night at Saddleback College.
Santa Margarita, Corona del mar and Irvine all finished with 3-2 league records.
The first tie-breaking criteria is head-to-head outcomes. Corona del Mar beat Irvine on Thursday and defeated Santa Margarita last week, so the Sea Kings will go to the CIF Southern Section Division V playoffs as the league's No. 2 playoff representative, behind No. 1 representative and league champion El Toro. Santa Margarita beat Irvine in the league opener, so the Eagles (7-3 overall) get the third and final berth.
Irvine could receive Division V's lone at-large berth when football playoff seedings, at-large berths and first-round pairings are announced Sunday. A team must finish with a record of .500 or better, and the Vaqueros are 6-4. Also possibly benefitting Irvine is that the Vaqueros were rated fifth in this week's Division V rankings.
Santa Margarita coach Jim Hartigan knows that the Eagles, being a No. 3 representative, will play on the road against a league champion. He figures Santa Ana Valley will be their first round opponent, but knows Kennedy or even Servite, which like Santa Margarita, is a Catholic school, could be on the Eagles' first round schedule.
"I would prefer a non-Catholic school,” Hartigan said, “because of the intensity of those games. I would like to save those for later."
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: NH - Mason 7-38, Morrell 7-16; SM - Minna 8-75, Newman 16-64
Passing: NH - Fredrikson 16-33-1-248; SM - Collins 12-17-1-209
Receiving: NH - Morrell 5-46, Allen 4-144; SM - Brown 8-145, Nickels 2-42
By Steve Fryer
Saturday, November 11, 1995
The Orange County Register - Sports 10
