EAGLES 26 - DANA HILLS 15
DANA POINT, CA., September 25, 1998 – Spencer McCroskey rushed for a career-high 147 yards and the Eagle defense forced three turnovers to lead Santa Margarita to its 28th consecutive win with a 26-15 victory over the Division I Dana Hills Dolphins. On Dana Hills’ first offensive series, a personal foul helped set the Dolphins up at the Eagle 46 yard line, but defensive end Colin Rooke had one of the best defensive plays in Eagle history as he blew up an option play in the backfield, forced a fumble, recovered it and raced 49 yards for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead. The Dolphins gained one yard on their next series, and the Eagles marched to the Dolphin 22 where Matt Froehlich kicked a 39-yard field goal and for a 10-0 lead. Dana Hills then went on a 20-play drive highlighted by a fumble from the backfield recovered for a first down on 3rd and 4, and an 18-yard pass on 4th and 14 during a fake punt. The drive stalled at the Eagle nine when Garrett Thompson recovered his fifth career fumble. At the end of the first half, Dana Hills went on a 17-play drive, which netted a mere 41 yards, setting up a 22-yard field goal cutting the lead to 10-3 at the half. The Eagles ran only ten first half plays, but limited the Dolphins to four of 13 pass completions and nine first downs despite over 18 minutes of possession by Dana Hills. Santa Margarita went on an eight-play 80-yard drive on the first series of the second half, and Greg Orlando scored from one yard out for a 17-3 lead with 8:38 left in the third quarter . Dana Hills did not give up as they went on a 16-play (15 runs) 80-yard drive capped by a fumble recovered in the Eagle endzone cutting the lead to 17-9. The Eagles put the game away on a nine-play 71-yard drive capped by Froehlich’s second field goal from 25-yards, and a seven-play 49-yard drive with 4:16 left finished by Orlando’s second touchdown – a seven yard scamper – to build the lead to 26-9. Defensively, John Bennett recorded 14 tackles, while McCroskey added 13 and Matt Szkalak chipped in 12. Trent Zinn picked up three tackles and also collected his first career interception.
| Santa Margarita | 10 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 26 |
| Dana Hills | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 15 |
SM – Rooke 49 fumble return (kick good)
SM – Froehlich 39 FG
DH – Jennings 22 FG
SM – Orlando 1 run (kick good)
DH – Alarcon 1 run
SM – Froehlich 25 FG
SM – Orlando 7 run
DH – Dolphins touchdown
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - McCroskey 16-147
Passing: –
Receiving: –
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Santa Margarita wins
DANA POINT – Santa Margarita's defense weathered a first-half barrage and the offense took over in the second half as the Eagles defeated Dana Hills, 26-15, on Friday night in front of 3,000 at Dana Hills.
The Eagles (3-0), ranked fourth in the county and first in Division VI, extended their winning streak to 28 games, the second longest in county history. Dana Hills dropped to 1-2.
Dana Hills dominated the first half, but went into the lockeroom trailing, 10-3, at halftime.
"When they got it, they weren't giving it up," Eagles coach Jim Hartigan said of what he feared would happen if the Dolphins went ahead.
Dana Hills had possession for 18 minutes and 20 seconds in the first half and gained 131 yards to Santa Margarita's 39. But the Eagles capitalized on two critical first-half fumbles by Dana Hills quarterback Jeremy Walker, who missed last week's game with an injured right knee.
"Jeremy put up a courageous effort," Dana Hills coach Scott Orloff said. "He wasn't all the way back, but he played hard. "
Dana Hills picked up three first downs on the opening drive of the game before Walker fumbled. Eagles defensive lineman Colin Rooke scooped it up and went 48 yards for a touchdown.
The Dolphins were forced to punt on their next possession and the Eagles drove for a 39-yard field goal by Matt Froehlich and a 10-0 lead with 3:21 left in the first quarter.
Dana Hills put together a 10-minute drive that started on its own 20. Walker completed a 17-yard pass to tailback Sean Myrill on a fake punt and Myrill got a 5-yard run on fourth-and-2 to keep the drive alive.
The Dolphins got down to Santa Margarita's 6 before Walker fumbled the second time.
The Dolphins later put together a 12-play drive capped off by a 26-yard field goal by Stephen Jennings just before halftime.
"They had a lot of long drives in the first half and our defense could have collapsed, but they kept us in the game," Hartigan said.
"Our offense came alive in the second half. That was critical. At halftime we told them they had to come out and score and get the lead and get the momentum back. "
Eagles running back Spencer McCroskey, who was held to 19 yards on three carries in the first half, spearheaded Santa Margarita's offense in the second half. He finished with 147 yards on 16 carries.
McCroskey broke a 39-yard run on Santa Margarita's first possession of the second half that helped set up a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Greg Orlando that gave the Eagles a 17-3 lead.
Orlando added a 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and Froehlich connected on a 25-yard field goal.
Myrill ran for 96 yards on 25 carries to lead Dana Hills' offense. Walker fumbled again on a quarterback keeper from the 1-yard line, but fullback Jovan Alarcon recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.
"I feel we beat them up front," Orloff said. "We were very physical, that was our game. The difference was they don't make mistakes. We're young and we still make a lot of mistakes."
By Carlos Arias
Saturday, September 26, 1998
The Orange County Register - D11
