IRVINE 42 - EAGLES 18
IRVINE, CA., November 7, 1998 – Despite generating 418 yards of total offense and averaging eight yards per play the Eagles (7-2, 3-1) could not keep up with an inspired Irvine Vaquero team and fell 42-18 at Irvine Stadium. It was the Eagles second loss of the season and caused the Eagles to fall into third place in the Sea View League behind the Vaqueros (7-1-1, 3-0-1) and Woodbridge (8-0-1, 3-0-1). The Eagles started off strong as they marched 70 yards on eight plays highlighted by Greg Orlando’s 42-yard pass to Mike O’Gorman and capped by Orlando’s one-yard run. Irvine’s David Doomey (254 yards rushing) scored on a 65-yard run on the Vaqueros’ first offensive play to take the lead for good 7-6. The Eagles were victimized by defensive alignment problems that the senior dominated Vaqueros exploited throughout the game as they built a 21-6 lead first half lead. The Eagles answered in the third quarter by virtue of an 80-yard pass from Dustin Creager to Orlando and a 71-yard strike from Orlando to O’Gorman. However, the Vaqueros could not be contained as they scored on all three of their third quarter possessions to go ahead 42-18 before a scoreless fourth quarter. Orlando (nine of 14 for 239 yards) enjoyed a record setting day as he became the first Eagle to rush, pass and receive a touchdown in the same game. Defensively, Josh Wills collected 11 tackles.
| Irvine | 7 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 42 |
| Santa Margarita | 6 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 18 |
SM – Orlando 1 run
IRV – Doomey 65 run (kick good)
IRV – Paik 1 run (kick good)
IRV – Little 15 pass from Van de Merghel (kick good)
SM – Orlando 80 pass from Creager
SM – O'Gorman 71 pass from Orlando
IRV – Little 76 pass from Van de Merghel (kick good)
IRV – Kang 41 pass from Van de Merghel (kick good)
IRV – Doomey 77 run (kick good)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: –
Passing: SM - Orlando 9-14-239
Receiving: –
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Vaqueros stun Eagles, 42-18
IRVINE – It's official. Irvine is back.
One year after finishing fifth and missing the playoffs, the No. 8 Vaqueros resembled their three-peat CIF title winning teams of the early '90s Saturday night in blowing out No. 5 Santa Margarita with a barrage of big plays, 42-18, in a Sea View League game at Irvine Stadium.
"It's big, I'll tell you," Irvine coach Terry Henigan said. "We must have played very well because you don't just do this to (Eagles coach) Jim Hartigan. But if you'd have told me before the game 42-18 Irvine, I'd have told you you're silly.
"Our program has taken some hits in recent years so this is very, very, very satisfying."
The Vaqueros (7-1-1, 3-0-1), who haven't won a league title since winning their third consecutive CIF Division IV crown in 1993, moved into a first-place tie with city-rival Woodbridge.
Irvine plays host to Newport Harbor on Friday in the regular-season finale.
Santa Margarita (7-2, 3-1), the two-time defending league and Division V champ which brought a 25-game winning streak into the season, dropped into third place. The Eagles play No. 4 Woodbridge on Friday at Saddleback College.
"We broke down in every aspect," Hartigan said.
Santa Margarita, which suffered its first league loss since 1995 to Corona del Mar, breezed right down the field on its opening possession and took a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard keeper by quarterback Greg Orlando.
But Irvine scored on the next play from scrimmage on a 65-yard touchdown run by David Doomey and dominated from there. Doomey finished with 254 yards rushing and also had a 77-yard scoring run.
After Sam Paik's 1-yard score made it 14-6, Sean Van de Merghel connected with Evan Little on scoring passes of 15 and 76 yards to make it 28-6. Van de Merghel (215 yards passing) later hit Ray Kang for a 41-yard score.
By Alan Abair
Saturday, November 8, 1998
The Orange County Register - C6
