EAGLES 38 - NEWPORT HARBOR 14
NEWPORT BEACH, CA., October 29, 1998 – Greg Orlando passed for 205 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and added 112 yards rushing to lead the Eagles to an impressive 38-14 win over Sea View League rival Newport Harbor. The win was the Eagles 14th consecutive in league play and their 32nd in 33 outings. After both teams exchanged two punts to start the game, Orlando found Mike O’Gorman on a post pattern that turned into an 85-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Eagle lead with 3:07 remaining in the first quarter. After a Will Watson fumble recovery, Spencer McCroskey capped a 25-yard drive with a one-yard score to increase the lead to 14-0 with 11:58 left in the half. The Sailors responded by going 80 yards on 11 plays to close the lead to 14-7 with 8:13 remaining before the half. The Eagles took control at the start of the second half by limiting the Sailors to seven yards and no first downs over a span of five series while forcing 11 consecutive incompletions. They put the game away by going on a 24-0 run over an 11 minute span during which Orlando threw touchdown passes of five and 46 yards to Matt Lopez while adding 76 yards rushing. Sophomore RB Tyler Thompson also added a 38-yard touchdown run before Newport Harbor scored on the Eagle JVs with 4:04 left in the game. Santa Margarita managed a season-high 439 yards of total offense, thanks largely to Orlando’s 10 of 14 passing effort. Senior kicker Matt Froehlich converted all five of his PATs and added a 36-yard field goal. Defensively, Josh Wills collected a team-high eight tackles and helped limit the Sailors to 9 first downs and only six completions in 22 attempts.
| Santa Margarita | 14 | 0 | 17 | 7 | 38 |
| Newport Harbor | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
SM – O'Gorman 85 pass from Orlando (Froehlich kick)
SM – McCroskey 1 run (Froehlich kick)
NH – Peredia 7 run (Bargas kick)
SM – Lopez 5 pass from Orlando (Froehlich kick)
SM – FG Froehlich 36
SM – Thompson 38 run (Froehlich kick)
SM – O'Gorman 46 pass from Orlando (Froehlich kick)
NH – Stewart 10 run (Bargas kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Orlando 12-112, McCroskey 17-46; NH - Peredia 21-54, Stewart 6-50
Passing: SM - Orlando 10-14-0-206; NH - Gorman 4-170-75
Receiving: SM - O'Gorman 3-135, Lopez 5-47; NH - Clayton 3-77, Jacobs 1-14
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Orlando propels Santa Margarita
NEWPORT BEACH – Santa Margarita football coach Jim Hartigan conceded his team took a big step Thursday night when the Eagles dominated Newport Harbor, 38-14, in a Sea View League game at Newport Harbor High.
But he hopes there are bigger steps in the future.
"In some aspects we did take a big step tonight," Hartigan said after the Eagles broke the game open with 24 points on their first four possessions of the second half. "But we still haven't reached our full potential yet. Hopefully those games will come in the next few weeks when we need them."
Thursday's victory was impressive as Santa Margarita (7-1, 3-0), ranked sixth in the county, dominated a good defensive Newport Harbor team (5-3, 0-3).
Quarterback Greg Orlando did most of the damage, completing 10 of 14 passes for 206 yards and rushing for another 113 yards against a team that had given up less than 10 points a game coming into the contest.
Orlando was especially effective in the second half. His 42-yard run on Santa Margarita's first possession set up Matt Lopez's 5-yard touchdown.
He had passes of 16 and 8 yards and another 18-yard run to set up a 36-yard field goal by Matt Froehlich on the next possession and hit Mike O'Gorman for a 46-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 38-7 lead.
Orlando's passing total was his second best of the season and it was his second consecutive game that he has rushed for more than 100 yards.
"I'm a receiver playing quarterback which has helped when I run the ball," said Orlando, who feels the Eagles, who won the CIF Southern Section Division V title last year, are starting to peak.
"We've gotten better every week since the San Clemente loss (in week 4)," Orlando said. "We took a hard look at ourselves after that game and have really started to produce.
"Our defense has come together and we are getting big plays both running and passing."
Santa Margarita ran its league record to 3-0 but faces tough tests over the next two weeks, closing the regular season against Irvine, ranked 10th in the county and Woodbridge, ranked fifth.
It was the third consecutive loss for Newport Harbor, which was ranked fifth at one time in the county polls.
By David Osterman
Saturday, October 30, 1998
The Orange County Register - D8
