El Modena - Game Notes
This is the Eagles' 100th Varsity game, and 48th road game. Santa Margarita's all-time road record is 32-15 (.681). The Eagles are currently 73-25-1 (.737) as they enter Week 4 of their ninth season.
Santa Margarita is 3-0, and ranked No. 8 in the Western United States by USA Today, No. 6 in California, and No. 1 in CIF-SS Division V. The Eagles are ranked 2nd in Orange County behind Mater Dei.
The 3-0 start marks the fifth time in nine years that the Eagles have won their first three. In 1990, the Eagles started 12-0.
The Eagles have won a school record 14 games in a row. They have also won 16 of 17, and 25 of their last 30. Their last loss was to Servite in Week 3 of the 1996 season.
During the streak, the Eagles have outscored the opposition 535-113, an average margin of victory of 30.1 points. Over the past nine wins the Eagles have averaged 44.0 points per game.
QUICK FACTS
Santa Margarita's fourth game of the season is a road game
against El Modena High at Fred Kelly Stadium. This will be the
Eagles first game at this facility.
This is the third game between the Eagles and the Vanguards. Last year, the Eagles beat El Modena twice. In Week 4, the Vanguards traveled to Saddleback College where the Eagles gave Coach Jim Hartigan his 60th career win with a 32-3 victory. El Modena managed to hold Billy Newman, then the County's leading rusher, to a season low 65 yards, but could not contain WR John Minardi or QB Carson Palmer. Palmer hit Minardi eight times for 136 yards and a record tying three touchdowns. Palmer completed 15 of 23 passes for 209 yards, and was also on the receiving end of a 47-yard Td pass from backup QB Mike Thompson. The defense allowed only six completions on the day, and held El Mo to 69 total yards until the final moments of the game. Casey Grzecka picked up seven tackles and Bryce Jackson had 1.5 sacks. In Week 11, The Eagles used three interceptions, two key special teams plays and good field position to score seven touchdowns and advance with a 51-6 win. Billy Newman needed three plays to cover 65 yards for a 7-0 score. Later, Andrew Holstein returned a blocked field goal 58 yards to set up a Carson Palmer 12-yard run and a 14-0 lead. A 55-yard burst by Newman (176 yards and three Tds on only 11 carries) in the third quarter - the 200th rushing Td in school history - gave the Eagles a 34-6 advantage. On defense, the Eagles held El Mo to three completions and 50 yards passing. Damien Minna and John Minardi added 13 and nine tackles respectively, while Jessie Wyatt, John Schweitzer and Garrett Thompson had interceptions.
The Vanguards are 1-2 this year and 0-1 at home. After opening with a 28-0 win at Garden Grove they fell 23-10 to Sunny Hills at home, and 49-19 at Tustin.
COACHES
Jim Hartigan is 73-25-1 (.737) in his ninth varsity season
as Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan has a 89-28-1 (.754) if
you include 10-0 and 6-3-1 lower level teams that he led in
1987 and 1988 respectively. He was honored as the 1996 CIF-SS
Division V Coach of the Year. The Vanguards are led by fifth
year coach Steve Howard. Coach Howard is a former Eagle assistant
coach and is 18-24-2 (.409) overall at El Modena. Former Eagle
assistants Brett Kohorst and Jason Hitchens are also on the
Vanguard staff.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
