Los Alamitos - Game Notes
The Eagles are 0-0-1 as they enter Week 2 of their 13th varsity season. Last year, the Eagles finished 8-3 and won their third league championship in five years. They lost to AB Miller, in overtime, 27-21 in the CIF Playoffs.
Before last weeks 21-21 tie against Ayala, the Eagles had won six openers in a row. Their last opening game loss was in 1994 when they fell 17-12 at Trabuco Hills. They have not lost a Week 1 home opener since 1989.
This is the second game between Santa Margarita and the Los Alamitos Griffins. Last year, at Cal State Fullerton, in front of a Fox Sports Net 2 television audience, the host Eagles fell behind 21-0 before rallying for two second half touchdowns to close within 21-14. Their dramatic comeback bid ended at the Griffin 12 with no time left on the clock as "Los Al" hung on for a seven point win. Please see the full game recap herein.
Los Alamitos is off to a 1-0 start after a 41-21 win over El Modena. They finished the 2000 season 8-3, and in third place in the Sunset League. They fell in the first round of the CIF-SS Division I playoffs 35-21 to Eisenhower. The Griffins were two-time CIF Division II champions in the 1990's and posted an amazing 47-0-1 unbeaten streak. They are led by 23rd year Coach John Barnes who has a career mark of 196-60 (.766).
Santa Margarita is ranked 21st in the nation by USA Today. Their pre-season No. 12 ranking was their highest ever. They are ranked 5th in CIF-SS Division I, and have been ranked in the Top 10 by the CIF office in 19 of the 22 weekly polls since joining Division I in 1999. They are ranked 4th in Orange County and have also been ranked in the Orange County Top 10 in 61 of the last 69 polls.
The Eagles will be making their first ever appearance at Long Beach Veteran's Stadium.
Their .741 winning percentage is the best in Orange County.
Head Coach Jim Hartigan
Jim Hartigan, 41, is 108-37-2 (.741) in his 13th season as varsity Head
Coach. Overall, Coach Hartigan has a 124-40-3 (.751) 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 has won three league Championships
and two CIF Titles - all coming in the past five years. Jim 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 11 of their 12 seasons and has never posted a losing
season. Jim has coached six High School All-Americans, 68 players who
have gone onto play in the collegiate ranks and three who have played
in the NFL. His 28-game winning streak from 1996-98 is the second best
in Orange County history.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
