Fountain Valley - Game Notes
This is the Eagles' 101st Varsity game, and 49th road game. Santa Margarita's all-time road record is 33-15 (.688). The Eagles are currently 74-25-1 (.740) as they enter Week 5 of their ninth season.
Santa Margarita is 4-0, and ranked No. 8 in the Western United States by USA Today, No. 5 in California, and No. 1 in CIF-SS Division V. The Eagles are ranked 2nd in Orange County behind Mater Dei.
The 4-0 start marks the fifth time in nine years that the Eagles have won their first four. In 1990, the Eagles started 12-0.
The Eagles have won a school record 15 games in a row. They have also won 17 of 18, and 26 of their last 31. Their last loss was to Servite in Week 3 of the 1996 season.
During the streak, the Eagles have outscored the opposition 584-128, an average margin of victory of 30.4 points. Over the past nine wins the Eagles have averaged 44.5 points per game.
Over the past eight games the Eagles have led 48-14, 27-6, 17-0,
21-0, 38-0, 31-6, 31-0, 48-7 and 35-0 at halftime. An average score of 33-4.
QUICK FACTS
This will be the Eagles third game at Huntington Beach High
School. In 1995, the Eagles beat Huntington Beach 37-16, and
two weeks later lost 28-27 to Fountain Valley.
This is the fourth game between the Eagles and Barons. In 1996, the Eagles sported blue on white uniforms for the first time, and trounced the Barons 31-0 at Saddleback College. Penalties forced the Eagles into long yardage situations all night, but that didn't stop them from improving to 4-1. After a scoreless first quarter, Carson Palmer found John Minardi for a 37-yard Td and a 7-0 lead. In the third quarter a 1st and 56 situation on one drive saw the Eagles pick up 111 net yards and a 37-yard field goal by Nick Sparks. Billy Newman led the way with 230 yards rushing and a Td, and added a 60-yard punt return for another Td to ice the game. In 1995, the Eagles held a 27-21 fourth quarter lead, but could not contain QB Mitch Ryerson and the rest of the powerful Fountain Valley offense and fell, 28-27, on OCN's Game of the Week. The Eagles were held to their lowest rushing output of the season - 86 yards - and were hurt by a missed PAT attempt. Chris Collins led the way completing 15 of 32 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. In 1994, the Eagles played host to the Barons at Orange Coast College. Santa Margarita was down only 7-5 at the half; however, the Barons took charge in the second half and posted a 29-17 win. Matt Nickels caught seven passes for 128 yards including a 70-yard Td reception, and sophomore RB Billy Newman rushed for 44 yards on only six carries.
The Barons are ranked 7th in the County and 6th in CIF Division I. They are averaging 45.5 points per game. The Eagles have fared well against CIF Division I teams over the years. They have a 9-3 record against Division I schools, and a 10-3 mark against top classifications. The 10th win was against Durango.
COACHES
Jim Hartigan is 74-25-1 (.740) in his ninth varsity season
as Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan has a 90-28-1 (.756) 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 Barons are led by sixth year
coach George Berg. Coach Berg is 37-21-2 (.617) overall at Fountain
Valley, and led his team to the 1996 Sunset League.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
