Aliso Niguel - CIF Game Notes
This is the first game between Santa Margarita and the Aliso Niguel Wolverines, and their first ever game at Wolverine Stadium. It is also a match-up of the two newest schools in Orange County.
This is also the first game ever between the Eagles and a team from the Pacific Coast League; however, the Eagles played current Pacific Coast League member University four times while the Trojans were members of the Sea View League. Santa Margarita finished with a 3-1 record vs. University between 1990 and 1993.
The Aliso Niguel Wolverines won the tough Pacific Coast League this year for the second time in three years. In 1996 they finished 14-0 and won the CIF-SS Division VIII Championship.
Aliso Niguel is 5-5 after starting the season 0-4. The Wolverines opened by playing, and losing to, four consecutive Division I teams before reeling off four straight wins. In Week 9 they lost, 12-10, to Laguna Hills, before beating Costa Mesa 27-18 in Week 10.
Three of the top four seeds in the CIF-SS Division VI Playoffs hail from the Sea View League. Woodbridge is the No. 1 seed while Irvine is the No. 2 seed, and Santa Margarita the No. 3 seed. Corona del Mar, the fourth place team in the Sea View League picked up the lone wildcard entry and is seeded 12.
QUICK FACTS
This is Santa Margarita’s 121st varsity game, and 59th road game. Santa Margarita’s
all-time road record is 41-17 (.707), and they are 8-2 (.800)
as the road team in eight years of CIF Playoff action.
The Eagles are currently 91-28-1 (.763) as they enter Week 11 of their tenth varsity season. Their .763 winning percentage is the second best in State history behind Concord De La Salle
The Eagles have qualified for the playoffs in nine of their ten varsity seasons. They have an all-time record of 14-6 (.700) in their eight previous years of playoff competition.
Santa Margarita has not lost a road playoff game since 1993 when they fell to Damien of La Verne 25-20.
The Eagles finished ranked No. 4 in CIF-SS Division VI, but they fell out of the Orange County Top 10 although they did receive some votes. Until this week, they had been ranked in the Orange County Top 10 for 33 consecutive weeks and 42 of the past 44.
Santa Margarita is 7-1 in CIF Round 1 playoff games over the years. A winning percentage of .875. The Eagles are also 3-4 in Round 2, 2-1 in the Semi-finals and 2-0 in CIF Championship Games.
The Eagles have won eight consecutive playoff games including four in a row on the road and six in a row away from Saddleback College if you include the two CIF Championship Games at Cal State Fullerton.
COACHES
Jim Hartigan is 91-28-1 (.763) in his 10th season
as varsity Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan has a 107-31-2
(.771) if you include 10-0 and 6-3-1 lower level teams that
he led in 1987 and 1988 respectively before the Eagles fielded
varsity teams. He was honored as the both the 1996 and 1997 Daily Pilot Sea View League Coach of the Year, CIF-SS
Division V Coach of the Year and the National Football Foundation
Orange County Coach of the Year. The Wolverines are led by 5th year coach Joe Wood who has a record of 35-22-1 (.612) at Aliso
Niguel.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
