Lincoln - Game Notes
This is the first game between Santa Margarita and the Lincoln Hornets. It marks the second year in a row that the Eagles have opened against a team outside of Orange County. Last year the Eagles beat Dominguez 13 - 8.
This match-up marks the 7th game overall between the Eagles and a team from San Diego County, and the first of three this year. Santa Margarita's all time record against San Diego Section teams is 5-1 (.833).
Lincoln finished the 1998 season 9-3 and advanced to the CIF-San Diego Section Division III semi-finals. The Hornets are expected to compete for the Western League title in 1999. Lincoln is coached by Tony Jackson and led by Junior QB Jason Swanson, sophomore wide receiver Steve Smith and senior linebacker DeRon Terry.
The Eagles are 7-3 in season opening games. They are 74-16 (.822) in seasons when they win their first game and 20-13-1 (.603) in seasons when they don't.
QUICK FACTS
This is Santa Margarita's 125th varsity game, and 65th
home game. The Eagles are currently 94-29-1 (.762) as they
enter Week 1 of their 11th varsity season. 1999 will be
the Eagles first season competing in CIF-SS Division I.
The Eagles' all-time home record is 51-12-1 (.805), and they are 46-10-1 (.816) at Saddleback College.
They are ranked 5th in the State, 3rd in Southern California and 2nd in Orange County. Their highest rankings ever were 4th, 3rd and 2nd respectively. They have been ranked in the State Top 20 in 21 of the past 32 weekly polls. Santa Margarita is also ranked 11th in the West per the new "Fox 50" national ranking system.
The Eagles are three-time returning CIF Finalists and won CIF-SS Division V titles in 1996 and 1997.
COACHES
Eagle Head Coach Jim Hartigan is 94-29-1 (.762) entering
his 11th season as varsity Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan
has a 110-32-2 (.771) if you include 10-0 and 6-3-1 lower
level teams that he led in 1987 and 1988 respectively before
the Eagles fielded varsity teams. He was honored as the
both the 1996 and 1997 Daily Pilot Sea View League Coach
of the Year, CIF-SS Division V Coach of the Year and the
National Football Foundation Orange County Coach of the
Year. Coach Hartigan has directed his squads into the playoffs
in nine of their ten seasons and has never posted a losing
season. In the past two seasons, Jim has coached in two
State Games of the Week and a National Game of the Year
(the 1997 CIF Championship Game). The Hornets are led by
fourth-year coach Tony Jackson who has a 21-13 (.618) record
at Lincoln.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
