EAGLES 34 - CARLSBAD 27
MISSION VIEJO, CA., September 18, 1998 – The Eagles stormed out to a 27-0 lead and held off a late Carlsbad rally to extended their winning streak to 27 games with a 34-27 win over the San Diego Section Division I Lancers. With the win the Eagles improved to 2-0 for the seventh time in ten seasons. Late in the first quarter the Eagles started a drive on their own two and marched 82 yards on 14 plays to set up Matt Froehlich’s 33-yard field goal with 11:48 left in the 2nd quarter. On the drive, Greg Orlando was five of six for 45 yards – a taste of things to come. Later in the 2nd quarter, sophomore Tyler Thompson scored his first touchdown on a 17-yard run to cap a 79-yard drive giving the Eagles a 10-0 lead. On the Lancers next series, they were forced to punt from their own endzone where a shanked punt was returned 14 yards by Mike O’Gorman to the Carlsbad two. From there Spencer McCroskey took it across for a 17-0 lead. On the first drive of the second half, Froehlich connected again, this time from 44 yards to bump the lead to 20-0. Later, with 3:24 left in the quarter, Dustin Creager fell on a fumble in the endzone after a Matt Lopez 19-yard reception to increase the lead to 27-0. Then the game got interesting. A 52-yard touchdown on a reverse by John Waardenburg on the last play of the third quarter gave the Lancers a spark. An Orlando interception set up a nine-yard run by Pana Faumuina with 9:55 left to cut the lead to 27-13. A two-yard run by Faumuina set up by an Eagle fumble and his own 35-yard option pass cut the lead further to 27-20. Faced with a third and 18 from their own 12, Orlando found Mike O’Gorman on a fly pattern for an 88-yard touchdown and a 34-20 lead. Faumuina’s third touchdown, a one-yard run, with 2:11 left finished the scoring. On the evening Orlando had a career best day as he completed 17 of 23 passes for 267 yards (9th best in school history) and two touchdowns. O’Gorman caught a career-high eight passes for 172 yards - the fourth best yardage total in school history. Defensively, John Bennett collected 16 tackles, Jim Foley posted a sack, two tackles, and a fumble recovery and McCroskey collected his second interception of the year.
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| Carlsbad | 0 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 27 |
SM – FG Froehlich 34
SM – Thompson 17 Run (Froehlich kick)
SM – McCroskey 2 Run (Froehlich kick)
SM – FG Froehlich 44
SM – Creager fumble recovery in end zone pass (Froehlich kick)
CAR – Waardenburg 52 run (kick failed)
CAR – Faumunina 9 run (Torres kick)
CAR – Faumunina 2 run (Torres kick)
SM – O'Gorman 88 pass from Orlando (Froehlich kick)
CAR – Faumunina 1 run (Torres kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: CAR - Faumuina 23-102, Rogers 13-86; SM - Orlando 10-53, McCroskey 9-35
Passing: CAR - Gutierrez 9-19-0-125; SM - Orlando 17-23-2-272
Receiving: CAR - Faumuina, Hanson 3-85, Faumina 2-30; SM - O'Gorman, 9-175, Lopez 4-37
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Carlsbad Can’t Stop the Eagles
MISSION VIEJO, CA., September 18, 1998 – Santa Margarita, ranked fourth in Orange County, raced to a 27-point lead against Carlsbad, before sweating out a 34-27 victory Friday at Saddleback College.
It was Santa Margarita’s 27th consecutive victory, giving the Eagles the second-longest winning streak in Orange County history. Edison holds the county record, winning 32 consecutive games from 1979 to ’81.
But the streak wouldn’t be intact if it weren’t for some big plays and kind bounces.
Santa Margarita quarterback Greg Orlando completed 17 of 23 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 49 yards in 13 carries. But the victory wasn’t secure until Matt Moore recovered an onside kick with 2 minutes 7 seconds remaining for Santa Margarita (2-0), top ranked in the Southern Section Division VI.
That’s because Carlsbad (1-1), an unranked team in the San Diego Section Division I, cashed in on two fourth quarter Santa Margarita turnovers and scored four touchdowns in the final 13 minutes.
Carlsbad running back Pana Faumuina, who rushed for 117 yards in 25 carries, scored three touchdowns to help the Lancers pull within seven points twice in the final eight minutes.
But Santa Margarita had an answer for Carlsbad’s rally. After Faumuina completed a 35-yard halfback pass to Kyle Hanson to set up a two-yard touchdown run that made it 27-20 with 7:31 remaining, Orlando delivered a big play.
Facing third and 18 from his own 12, Orlando hooked up with Mike O’Gorman, who caught eight passes for 172 yards, for an 88-yard touchdown pass. The fly-pattern play up the left sideline made it 34-20 with 5:53 remaining, making Faumuina’s final touchdown run with 2:11 remaining less damaging.
“It was an automatic adjustment to their coverage,” Santa Margarita Coach Jim Hartigan said. “Their guy pressed up and we went up top. It was a great throw and catch. We opened it up a little tonight and Greg stepped it up.”
Santa Margarita’s Dustin Creager recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown to make it, 27-0, with 3:24 remaining in the third quarter after Matt Lopez caught a 19-yard pass but couldn’t hang onto the ball as he crossed the goal line.
By Michael Itagaki
Saturday, September 19, 1998
The Los Angeles Times
Eagles survive a scare
MISSION VIEJO – The streak lives - barely.
After racing to a 27-0 lead in the third quarter, defending Division 5 champion Santa Margarita was forced to make big plays down the stretch as Carlsbad twice moved within one a touchdown of the Eagles in a 34-27 victory at Saddleback College.
Powered by 102 yard rushing effort by Pana Faumuina, the Lancers scored three consecutive touchdowns to trail 27-20 while forcing Santa Margarita into a third-and-long at its 12 in the fourth quarter.
Facing the possibility of an end of to a 26-game winning streak, Eagle quarterback Greg Orlando lofted the ball deep to Mike O'Gorman who caught it at midfield and went untouched for a 88-yard score and a 14-point lead.
Orlando threw for over 250 yards and also rushed for 53 yards to lead the fourth-ranked Eagles (2-0) to the victory.
The Lancers started their comeback on a 52-yard reverse by John Waardenburg in the third quarter and a 9-yard run by Faumuina early in the fourth quarter.
On the next series, Spencer McCroskey fumbled and the Lancers countered by connecting on a 34-yard halfback pass from Faumuina to Kyle Hanson at the 8. Two plays later Faumuina swept right to bring Carlsbad within 27-20.
By Graig Woodburn
Saturday, September 19, 1998
The Orange County Register - D13
