EAGLES 28 - ALISO NIGUEL 14 - CIF
LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA., November 20, 1998 – The Eagles rebounded from two consecutive losses by defeating the Aliso Niguel Wolverines 28-14 in the first round of the CIF-SS Division VI playoffs. The Eagles advance to play Tustin in a rematch of the 1997 CIF Championship Game won by the Eagles 55-42. Spencer McCroskey led the way as the senior captain rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns and helped the defense keep Wolverines scoreless in the second half after a 14-14 first half deadlock. After Aliso Niguel punted on their first series the Eagles struck first with 8:14 remaining in the first quarter as Tyler Thompson scored on a 27-yard run to go ahead 7-0. The Wolverines responded by moving 72 yards on 14 rushing plays to tie the score at seven behind the first of two one-yard td runs by Iman Nikzad with 2:04 left in the quarter. A fumble deep in Wolverine territory thwarted an Eagle scoring chance, but they later responded and moved ahead 14-7 when McCroskey scored on a six-yard run with 6:05 left in the half. Aliso Niguel didn’t quit as they went on a 15-play drive and scored on another one-yard run by Nikzad at the 0:13 mark to tie it at 14 apiece. In the third quarter, the Eagles shut down the Wolverines vaunted running attack limiting them to 23 yards and no first downs while McCroskey scored on a five-yard run to go up 21-14. With 10:55 left in the game, Greg Orlando found Mike O’Gorman on a seven-yard touchdown strike to increase the lead to 28-14. Orlando’s touchdown pass marked the 11th consecutive game that he either ran or passed for a score, and this touchdown marked only the second time all season that the Eagles had scored in each quarter of a game. The Wolverines stuck with their double-wing running game all night and were unable to mount a challenge in the second half (53 total yards) after the Eagles made some effective adjustments on defense. Defensively, John Bennett picked up a team high 17 tackles, while Josh Wills added 16. The Eagles also allowed Aliso Niguel to complete only one pass completion in four attempts, and did not surrender a passing first down for the first time this season.
| Santa Margarita | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Aliso Niguel | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
SM – Thompson 28 run (Froehlich kick)
AN – Nikzad 1 run (Roy kick)
SM – McCroskey 6 run (Froehlich kick)
AN – Nikzad 1 run (Roy kick)
SM – McCroskey 5 run (Froehlich kick)
SM – O'Gorman 7 pass from Orlando (Froehlich kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - McCroskey 17-87, Thompson 5-59; AN - Nikzad 17-104, Moore 15-64
Passing: SM - Orlando 10-13-0-145; AN - Durst 1-2-0-14, Stanton 0-2-0-0
Receiving: SM - O'Gorman 5-91, Lopez 4-42; AN - Moore 1-14
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Eagles go back to basics
LAGUNA NIGUEL – Spencer McCroskey ran for two touchdowns and Santa Margarita held Aliso Niguel scoreless in the second half en route to a 28-14 victory Friday in the first round of the CIF Division VI playoffs.
After Santa Margarita (8-3) had lost its last two games in the Sea View League, Coach Jim Hartigan said the Eagles had to work on fundamentals.
"We had to get back to running the ball a little bit more," Hartigan said. "We did that tonight. We were working on our basic passing stuff. We wanted to get our feet back underneath us. We weren't used to losing two in a row."
Santa Margarita struck first. After Aliso Niguel (5-6) punted on its opening series, the Eagles took over on their own 47.
Four plays later, Tyler Thompson ran around the left side, shook off two defenders and rambled 28 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles led, 7-0, with 8:14 left in the first quarter.
Aliso Niguel responded with its ground attack. The Wolverines chewed up 75 yards on 14 running plays. Iman Nikzad's 1-yard burst up the middle tied the score at 7-7 in the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Eagles went up, 14-7, on a 6-yard run up the middle by McCroskey. Quarterback Greg Orlandos completed all three of his passes in the drive, good for 42 of the Eagles' 64 yards in the series.
The Wolverines completed another scoring drive in the second quarter to tie the game at 14-14. It was almost a carbon copy of the first one. Aliso Niguel marched 81 yards in 15 plays. Nikzad opened the drive with a 43-yard sweep for a first down on the Eagles' 38.
Nikzad scored from the 1 with 13 seconds left in the half on a fourth-and-goal play.
The Eagles started the second half with the ball and went 80 yards in 10 plays to go up, 21-14. McCroskey ran 5 yards through the left side of the line for the touchdown.
The key play was on third-and-9 from the Wolverines' 23.
Orlandos ran a quarterback draw up the middle for a 10-yard gain and first down.
"We basically told (Orlandos) that if the draw was there to go ahead and audible to it," Hartigan said.
In the fourth quarter the Eagles increased their lead to 28-14 as Orlandos hit Mike O'Gorman on a 7-yard slant for the touchdown.
By Larry Shield
Saturday, November 21, 1998
The Orange County Register - D11
