Corona del Mar - Game Notes
This is the Eagles’ 102nd Varsity game, and 50th road game. Santa Margarita’s all-time road record is 34-15 (.694). The Eagles are currently 75-25-1 (.743) as they enter Week 6 of their ninth season.
Santa Margarita is 5-0, and ranked No. 7 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 5-0 start is the best start since the 1990 team started 12-0.
The Eagles have won a school record 16 games in a row. They have also won 18 of 19, and 27 of their last 32. Their last loss was to Servite in Week 3 of the 1996 season. The 16 wins is second best in Saddleback Valley history behind El Toro’s streak of 17 set in 1986-87.
With the win over Fountain Valley, the Eagles have won 11 straight on the road dating back to 1995.
During the streak, the Eagles have outscored the opposition 611-149, an average margin of victory of 28.9 points. Over the past 11 wins the Eagles have averaged 42.9 points per game.
Over the past 10 games the Eagles have led 48-14, 27-6, 17-0, 21-0, 38-0, 31-6, 31-0, 48-7, 35-0 and 17-7 at halftime. An avg. score of 31-4.
With the win over Fountain Valley, the Eagles have improved their record against CIF Division I teams over the years to 10-3 (.769). They also have an all-time record of 11-3 mark against teams in top classifications. The 11th win was against Las Vegas Durango (NIAA 4A).
QUICK FACTS
Santa Margarita enters their sixth and last season in the
Sea View League with a game at Corona del Mar.
This will be the Eagles fifth game at Davidson Field (Newport Harbor High School). The Eagles are 1-3 all-time at this field including 0-1 against CdM and 1-2 vs. Newport Harbor. The Eagles’ lone win was a 36-22 win against Newport Harbor in Week 6 of the 1996 season.
This is the sixth game between the Sea Kings and Eagles. The Sea Kings hold a 3-2 series lead.
In 1996, Santa Margarita’s offense rolled to 519 yards, and tied a team record for points with a 55-27 win over the Sea Kings at Saddleback College. The win gave the Eagles their first ever outright league championship. The Eagles wasted little time using 17 plays to build a 48-14 second quarter lead. Carson Palmer found Brett Crowder for a 48-yard Td, and Billy O’Connor took a reverse and tossed a 23-yard Td to John Minardi. Billy Newman was unstoppable as he touched the ball nine times and scored four touchdowns covering 49, 62, 47 and 20 yards. Jessie Wyatt (58-yard interception) and Jim Lopez also scored their first Tds for the Eagles.
COACHES
Jim Hartigan is 75-25-1 (.742) in his ninth varsity season
as Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan has a 91-28-2 (.752) 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 Sea Kings are led by third
year coach Dick Freeman. Coach Freeman is 13-13 (.500) overall
at Corona del Mar.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
