El Toro - Game Notes
This is the fifth game between Santa Margarita and the El Toro Chargers, and the third at Trabuco Hills Stadium. The series is tied 2-2 with only one game, 1995, decided by less than 21 points.
In 1994, the game was tied 9-9 at the half, but the Chargers used their strong running attack to offset Chris Collins’ 203 yards passing to win 33-9. In 1995, The Chargers and Eagles each entered the game 6-1. The Eagles took a 14-10 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to a third quarter touchdown run by Chris Collins, but couldn’t hold off the Chargers who posted a 20-14 win. In 1996, the Eagles clinched their first ever Sea View League Championship with a 42-21 win. Carson Palmer set a school record at the time with 375 yards of total offense, including 150 rushing, and added four touchdown passes, to help turn a 21-21 third quarter tie into an Eagle win.
Last year, Bryant Wolfsberger rushed for 221 yards on only 13 carries and scored four touchdowns – all in the first half – to lead the Eagles to a 44-14 win over rival El Toro at Saddleback College. It was the Eagles 21st consecutive win and clinched their second 10-0 regular season. Playing in a steady rain didn’t seem to bother the Eagles as they built a 21-0 first quarter lead thanks to a 10-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Jordan Beckner, and 62- and 60-yard runs by Wolfsberger. In the second quarter, Wolfsberger scored again when a botched snap on a Charger punt rolled into the endzone and he recovered it. Later, a 44-yard field goal by Nick Sparks and a 22-yard run by Wolfsberger gave the Eagles a commanding 38-0 lead. At the half, the Eagles had gained 315 yards, and limited the Chargers to one completion in 11 attempts and 32 yards rushing on 11 carries. Palmer, limited to one half of action, completed nine of 15 passes for 92 yards. In the second half, Spencer McCroskey capped off the scoring with a one-yard run. On defense, Nick Cappelletti had seven tackles and a sack, DE Jason Rowell added four tackles and a sack. Sophomore Ryan Curtis also picked off his first career pass.
The Chargers are off to a 2-3 start and are currently not ranked in the Orange County or Division VI Top 10. They started the season with a 27-7 loss to Dana Hills, beat Western 20-16, lost to Servite (21-7) and Foothill (15-14), and bounced back with a 38-12 win over Laguna Hills last week.
The winner of the past three games between the Eagles and Chargers has gone on to win both the Sea View League and CIF Division V Championships. In 1995, the Chargers finished 12-2 in winning their titles.
With the win over Rancho Bernardo, the Eagles improved to 14-4 all time against Division I opponents. On October 12th the Catholic Athletic Association moved to place the Eagles in the proposed Division I Angelus League for the 1999 season with powerful Bishop Amat, Loyola, Mater Dei, St. John Bosco and Servite.
QUICK FACTS
This is Santa Margarita’s 116th varsity
game, and 56th road game. Santa Margarita’s all-time road
record is 39-16 (.709), and they are 1-1 (.500) vs El Toro at
Trabuco Hills Stadium and 2-2 (.500) overall at that venue.
The Eagles are currently 88-26-1 (.770) as they enter Week 6 of their tenth varsity season. Their .770 winning percentage is the second best in State history.
The Eagles are ranked No. 3 in CIF-SS Division VI, and No. 6 in Orange County. They have been ranked in the Orange County Top 10 for 36 consecutive weeks, but their streak of 18 consecutive weeks in the State Top 20 ended two weeks ago after losing to San Clemente.
COACHES
Jim Hartigan is 88-26-1 (.770) in his tenth season as varsity
Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan has a 104-29-2 (.778) 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 Chargers are led by seventh year
coach Mike Milner who has a record of 33-35-2 (.486) at El Toro.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
