Newport Harbor - Game Notes
This is the ninth game between Santa Margarita and the Newport Harbor Sailors, and the fifth at Davidson Field. The Eagles have played, and beaten, the Sailors more than any other opponent. The series goes back to 1992 with the Eagles holding a 6-2 advantage.
In 1992, the Eagles had six turnovers and fell to the host Sailors 27-16. In 1993, the Eagles clinched 3rd place in the Sea View League with a 19-0 win. In 1994, the Eagles built a 14-0 lead and held onto a 23-21 lead in the final minute only to lose 27-23 to the eventual CIF Champions. In 1995, Chris Collins passed for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Eagles won 35-21. In Week 6 of 1996, the Eagle rallied from a 22-20 third quarter deficit to post a 36-22 win. Billy Newman rushed for 269 yards while John Minardi caught 4 passes for 173 yards. In the 1996 CIF Championship Game, Billy Newman rushed for 253 yards, including a record-tying 91-yard run, Carson Palmer passed for 245 yards and three touchdowns to John Minardi, and the defense posted a record eight sacks as the Eagles won their first CIF title with a 38-0 win at Cal State Fullerton. By halftime the Eagles held a 38-0 lead and had gained 425 yards. In Week 7 of 1997, Carson Palmer passed for a then school record 356 yards and accounted for 385 yards of total offense, while John Minardi tied a school record with four touchdowns (three receiving and one rushing) as the Eagles scored on seven of their first eight possessions to post their fourth consecutive win over the Sailors. Minardi finished with 141 yards on six catches and added nine tackles and a blocked punt. Bryant Wolfsberger added 92 yards and two blocked kicks while Nick Cappelletti led the team with 15 tackles. In the 1997 CIF Semi-Finals, the Eagles picked up their 24th consecutive win with a convincing 27-7 victory over the Tars. Bryant Wolfsberger scored on a 12-yard run and John Minardi’s first interception set up a 39-yard field goal by Nick Sparks and a quick 10-0 first quarter lead. Late in the second quarter, Carson Palmer found Matt Brooks for a 57-yard scoring pass and a 17-0 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Greg Orlando took a lateral from Palmer and found Minardi for a 25-yard score to increase the lead to 24-0. The Sailors were never able to generate any offense until late in the game and finished with 130 yards and only 8 first downs.
The Sailors are off to a 5-2 start, and they are currently ranked 4th in the Division VI rankings. Newport Harbor beat Orange 70-6, Marina 38-13, Sweetwater 34-2, Glendora 33-0, and Magnolia 40-7, then lost to Corona del Mar 28-18 and Woodbridge 10-7.
QUICK FACTS
This is Santa Margarita’s 118th varsity
game, and 57th road game. Santa Margarita’s all-time road
record is 40-16 (.714), and they are 3-3 (.600) at Newport Harbor
High’s Davidson Field including a 2-2 mark vs. the Sailors.
The Eagles have lost only three road games in four years (21-3)
since a 27-23 loss to the Sailors in Week 9 of 1994.
The Eagles are currently 90-26-1 (.774) as they enter Week 8 of their tenth varsity season. Their .774 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, No. 4 in California Division II and No. 6 in Orange County. They have been ranked in the Orange County Top 10 for 31 consecutive weeks and 40 of the past 42, but their streak of 18 consecutive weeks in the State Top 20 ended four weeks ago after losing to San Clemente.
COACHES
Jim Hartigan is 90-26-1 (.774) in his tenth season as varsity
Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan has a 106-29-2 (.781) 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 Sailors are led by 13th year coach Jeff Brinkley who has a record of 101-50 (.669) at
Newport Harbor.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
