Lakewood - Game Notes
The Eagles are 1-0-1 as they enter Week 3 of their 13th varsity season. It marks the 8th time the Eagles have entered Week 3 undefeated.
The Eagles have historically done well in Week 3 games posting an 11-1 mark. Their only loss was to Servite, 38-27, in 1996.
Last weeks 21-14 win over Los Alamitos was the third consecutive game and fourth time in five games that the Eagles have scored exactly 21 points. It also marked the second time in five games that the Eagles have defeated a benchmark Orange County Program 21-14. In Week 9 of 2000, the Eagles defeated Mater Dei 21-14 at CSUF.
This is the second game between Santa Margarita and the Lakewood Lancers. Last year, at Saddleback College, the Eagles used a 60-yard punt return Td from Johnnie Walker and a three-yard Td pass from Matt Dlugolecki to Dustin Slinkard in the driving rain help the Eagles win 27-17. Please see the full game recap herein.
Lakewood is a Division I school competing in the Long Beach-based Moore League. They are off to a 0-1 start after a tough 14-7 loss to Mayfair in the "Milk Bucket" game. The Lancers finished the 2000 season 6-5, and in third place in the Moore League. They fell in the first round of the CIF-SS Division I playoffs to Esperanza. The Lancers are led by second-year coach Michael Christensen who is 6-6 so far at Lakewood.
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 20 of the 23 weekly polls since joining Division I in 1999. They are ranked 2nd in Orange County and have also been ranked in the Orange County Top 10 in 62 of the last 70 polls.
The Eagles will be making their first ever appearance at Lakewood High's Stadium and their first road trip to an L.A. County school since beating St John Bosco 35-17 in 1999.
Their .743 winning percentage is the best in Orange County.
Head Coach Jim Hartigan
Jim Hartigan, 41, is 109-37-2 (.743) in his 13th season as varsity Head
Coach. Overall, Coach Hartigan has a 125-40-3 (.753) 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
