Corona del Mar - Game Notes
This is the seventh game between Santa Margarita and the Corona del Mar Sea Kings, and the fourth at Saddleback College Stadium. The series is tied 3-3.
In 1992, the Eagles hosted the Sea Kings and posted a 35-21 win behind the efforts of QB Sean O’Brien. In 1993, 15 penalties and other questionable judgements by the officials led to a 14-7 Sea King win. In 1994, the Sea Kings handed the Eagles their first and only Homecoming loss as they won 20-12. In 1995, at OCC, CdM’s Josh Waltz had an outstanding game and led the Sea Kings to an exciting 18-17 win. The Eagles had a chance to win, but Jeff Zaist’s 27-yard field goal went wide on the game’s final play. It was the Eagles’ last Sea View League loss. In 1996, the Eagle offense rolled to 519 yards and tied a then school record for points with a 55-27 win at Saddleback. The win gave the Eagles their first Sea View League Championship. Santa Margarita wasted little time as they needed only 17 plays to build a 48-14 lsecond quarter lead. Billy Newman was unstoppable as he touched the ball nine times and scored four touchdowns covering 49, 62, 47 and 20 yards. Last year, Records fell as the Eagles opened defense of their Sea View League crown with a 63-0 win over Corona del Mar at Davidson Field. The 63 points were the most ever scored by the Eagles in a game, and the defeat was the Sea Kings worst ever. Carson Palmer set school records for touchdown passes in a game (5) and for a career (35). The Eagles took the opening kickoff 65 yards on eight plays with Palmer hitting John Minardi for a 16-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Palmer later hit Jordan Beckner on touchdown passes of 22, 14 and one yard and Greg Orlando from 16 yards out. Carson left the game in the second quarter with a 42-0 lead, and on the day finished 12 of 15 for 186 yards and no interceptions. By halftime the Sea Kings had been outgained 269-10. The Eagles scored on their first three possessions of the second half to raise their lead to 63-0. Through three quarters the Sea Kings had run only two plays in Eagle territory and in the end were outgained 436-89. Bryant Wolfsberger rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns on only on only 16 carries and Greg Orlando caught a career-high six passes for 81 yards.
The Sea Kings are off to a surprising 5-1 start, and they are currently ranked 4th in the Division VI rankings. Corona del Mar opened the year with a 13-0 loss at Marina but has since beaten Costa Mesa 23-6, Agoura Oak Park 34-6, Saddleback 16-10, Westminster 14-13 and Newport Harbor 28-18 last week.
QUICK FACTS
This is Santa Margarita’s 117th varsity
game, and 61st home game. Santa Margarita’s all-time home
record is 49-10-1 (.825), and they are 45-9-1 (.827) at Saddleback
College Stadium. The Eagles haven’t lost a home game in
two years – 16 in a row, and they are 2-1 (.667) vs. Corona
del Mar at Saddleback.
The Eagles are currently 89-26-1 (.772) as they enter Week 7 of their tenth varsity season. Their .772 winning percentage is the second best in State history behind Concord De La Salle.
The Eagles are ranked No. 1 in CIF-SS Division VI, and No. 6 in both California Division II and Orange County. They have been ranked in the Orange County Top 10 for 37 consecutive weeks, but their streak of 18 consecutive weeks in the State Top 20 ended three weeks ago after losing to San Clemente.
COACHES
Jim Hartigan is 89-26-1 (.772) in his tenth season as varsity
Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan has a 105-29-2 (.779) 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 Sea Kings are led by fourth year
coach Dick Freeman who has a record of 19-18 (.514) at Corona
del Mar.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
