Irvine - Game Notes
This is the seventh game between Santa Margarita and the Irvine Vaqueros, and the fourth at Irvine High. The series goes back to 1992 with the Eagles holding a 4-2 advantage. The Vaqueros took the first two meetings, but the Eagles have reeled off four straight wins.
In 1992, there was only one punt as the Vaqueros held off the Eagles for a 40-34 win. In 1993, the Eagles jumped to a 19-6 halftime lead, but RB Tony Mathis led the Vaqueros to a 29-26 comeback win. In 1994, the Eagles entered the game as underdogs, but QB Kevin McNeil, filling in for the injured Chris Collins, led the Eagles to an exciting 21-18 win. In 1995, Jeff Zaist kicked a 46-yard field goal on the last play of the game to give the Eagles a thrilling 17-14 win. In 1996, the Eagles put on one of their most dominating defensive performances in recent memory as they posted an important 17-0 win over the Vaqueros. The win put the Eagles in sole possession of first place in the Sea View League for the first time ever. The high-powered Vaq’s were limited to 14 yards on 27 rushing attempts, while QB Jared Flint was held to 11 completions for a mere 66 yards. RB Billy Newman led the way with 127 yards rushing, while LB Andrew Holstein spearheaded the defense with eight tackles including two of the team’s seven sacks. In 1997, the Eagles added to their arsenal of trick plays as they used a cross-field lateral on the opening kickoff to score the quickest touchdown in their history to start a commanding 56-3 win over the Vaqueros at Saddleback College. The win was their fourth consecutive over the Vaqueros and their 19th consecutive overall. Greg Orlando fielded the opening kickoff and passed to Bryant Wolfsberger who raced untouched 87 yards for a score with just 17 seconds elapsed. Wolfsberger’s return was the sixth kickoff return of his career. On the Eagles’ first offensive play after a 25-yard punt return by Orlando, Carson Palmer found John Minardi for a 13-yard touchdown pass and a quick 14-0 lead. Orlando caught two short touchdown passes from Palmer, and Andrew Holstein returned a fumble 59 yards for a score as the Eagles built a 35-3 halftime lead. Wolfsberger, who gained only 31 yards on five attempts, scored his 13th touchdown of the season in the third quarter to increase the lead to 42-3. Orlando later found Minardi on a 72-yard score and connected with Ryan Gahagan on a 63-yarder in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring. Defensively, Holstein led the team with 11 tackles.
The Vaqueros are off to a 6-1-1 start, and are currently ranked 3rd in the Division VI rankings, and 8th in Orange County. Irvine’s lone loss was to Mater Dei 35-0 in Week.
QUICK FACTS
This is Santa Margarita’s 119th varsity
game, and 58th road game. Santa Margarita’s all-time road
record is 41-16 (.719), and they are 6-2 (.750) at Irvine High’s
Stadium including a 2-1 mark vs. the Vaqueros. The Eagles have
lost only three road games in four years (22-3) since a 27-23
loss to Newport Harbor in Week 9 of 1994.
The Eagles are currently 91-26-1 (.775) as they enter Week 9 of their tenth varsity season. Their .775 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. 3 in California Division II and No. 5 in Orange County. They have been ranked in the Orange County Top 10 for 32 consecutive weeks and 41 of the past 43, 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 91-26-1 (.775) in his 10th season
as varsity Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan has a 107-29-2
(.783) 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 Vaqueros are led by 18th year coach Terry Henigan who has a record of 105-72-4 (.591)
at Irvine.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
