Eagles 36 - Newport Harbor 22
NEWPORT BEACH, CA., October 18, 1996 – The Sea View League opener turned out to be the deciding game for the league title as the Eagles battled the undefeated Sailors. It was a war until the final gun as Billy Newman and Ray Ohrel each rushed for more than 250 yards to lead their teams. The Eagles prevailed at the end behind Newman’s runs and John Minardi’s yards after catching the ball. Trailing 22-20 with less than four minutes in the game, Minardi caught a hitch pass and ran to the 19-yard line to set up Newman’s go-ahead scoring run. The game was also a preview for the CIF title match.
| Santa Margarita | 14 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 36 |
| Newport Harbor | 7 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 22 |
SM – Long 8 pass from Palmer (Sparks kick)
NH – Pulido 3 pass from Fredriksen (Johnson kick)
SM – Newman 80 run (Sparks kick)
NH – Hogan 77 pass from Fredriksen (kick blocked)
NH – FG Johnson 18
SM – Minardi 79 pass from Palmer (run failed)
NH – Ohrel 19 run (pass failed)
SM – Newman 13 run (Crowder pass from Palmer)
SM – Palmer 9 run (Palmer run)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Newman 28-263, Palmer 3-22; NH - Ohrel 35-266, Fredriksen 5-20
Passing: SM - Palmer 7-13-1-190; NH - Fredriksen 17-29-230
Receiving: SM - Minardi 4-174, Long 1-8; NH - Hogan 2-95, Pulido 8-85
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Santa Margarita scores late, tops Newport Harbor
NEWPORT BEACH – Sixth ranked Santa Margarita strengthened its case as one of the teams to beat in the Sea View by defeating previously unbeaten Newport Harbor, 36-22, in a league thriller Friday night.'
In a game that featured six lead changes in front of a crowd of 5,000 at Newport Harbor High; Santa Margarita (5-1, 1-0) scored twice in the final three minutes of the game to win its Sea View league opener for the fifth consecutive year.
Standout senior running back Billy Newman scored on a 13- · yard run with 3:33 remaining to give the Eagles the lead for good, 26-22. The Eagles added a two point conversion. Quarterback Carson Palmer capped the scoring with a 9-yard run with 2:01 left. .
"It's probably the biggest game of the season so far, and we needed it to win league and boost our confidence,” said Santa Margarita wide receiver John Minardi, :
The junior had a key 64-yard catch on the Eagles' winning drive that moved Santa Margarita from its 23 to the Sailors' 13. A play later, Newman (28 carries for 263 yards) scored.
Minardi finished with a school record 174 yards receiving.
Newport Harbor (5-1,0-1) tried to come back after Newman's touchdown run but didn't manage a first down after starting at its 20.
The first half was close, with both teams moving the ball on offense. But the Sailors took a 1614 lead at intermission on a 18yard field goal by Eddie Johnson with one second left in the half as the Sailors capped a 14-play, 97 yard drive.
Santa Margarita relied on the ground game in the first half as: Newman racked up 186 yards, 80 of which came on a touchdown run on the last play of the first quarter.
By Dan Albano
Saturday, October 19, 1996
The Orange County Register - Sports 14
