St. Paul - Game Notes
The Eagles are 3-1-1 as they enter Week 6 of their 13th varsity season. It marks the 9th time the Eagles have entered Week 6 with one or fewer losses. Their start is the best since they began the 1999 campaign 4-1.
This is the first meeting between Santa Margarita and the St. Paul Swordsmen
and the Eagles first visit to Monsignor Cranham Stadium also known as
"The Pit". The field became known as "The Pit" in
the 1960's when the Swordsmen were in the midst of a 10-year home winning
streak.
The St. Paul Swordsmen are 3-1 on the year after finishing 7-5 and in second place in the Del Rey League in 2000. They are expected to challenge Bishop Amat and Loyola for the league crown. They are led by legendary coach Marion Ancich who has spent 26 years over two stints at St. Paul. He is the winningest coach in California prep history with a 312-97-7 (.758) mark. Coach Ancich is 0-1 vs. Santa Margarita losing 35-21 as Tustin's coach in 1992.
Santa Margarita is 3-1 vs. Del Rey teams and St. Paul is 2-2 vs. Serra teams in so called "cross-over" games since this format began in 1999. It is expected that St. Paul will leave the Del Rey League after the 2001 season.
With the Tustin loss, Santa Margarita is no longer ranked in USA Today's Super 25. However, they are ranked 6th in CIF-SS Division I, and have been ranked in the Top 10 by the CIF office in 23 of the 26 weekly polls since joining Division I in 1999. They are currently ranked 6th in Orange County and have also been ranked in the Orange County Top 10 in 65 of the last 73 polls.
Their .742 winning percentage is the best in Orange County.
Del Rey League cross-over games (SM 3-1)
1999 SM 35, Bishop Amat 26 @ Saddleback
1999 Alemany 42, SM 28 @ Alemany H.S.
2000 SM 21, Bishop Amat 19 @ Bishop Amat H.S.
2000 SM 31, Alemany 10 @ Saddleback
Head Coach Jim Hartigan
Jim Hartigan, 41, is 111-38-2 (.742) in his 13th season as varsity
Head Coach. Overall, Coach Hartigan has a 127-41-3 (.751) record
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
