Fountain Valley - Game Notes
The win over Dorsey in Week 3 improved the Eagles to 3-0 on the season and marked their best start since starting 1998 3-0. The Eagles are seeking to begin their season 4-0 for the sixth time. It has been done five previous times - 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995 and 1997. They began the last three years 2-1, 2-1 and 2-0-1.
This is the fourth game between Santa Margarita and the Fountain Valley Barons and their third meeting at Sheue Field. In 1994, the Barons overcame Matt Nickel's 128 yards receiving to beat the Eagles 29-17 at Orange Coast College. In 1995, Chris Collins threw for 203 yards and two Tds, but a blown extra point was the difference in a 28-27 Baron win. In 1996, Billy Newman rushed for 230 yards and returned a punt for a 60-yard score as the Eagles trounced the Barons 31-0 at Saddleback College. In 1997, the Eagles, led by John Minardi's school-record 242 yards receiving, won their 16th game in a row with a 27-21 win before 6,000 fans at Sheue Field.
In 2001, the Barons finished 6-3-1 overall and tied for fourth in the tough Sunset League. They advanced to the playoffs where they lost to Long Beach Poly. They are led by 4th year Head Coach Eric Johnson who is 17-18-1 at Fountain Valley.
The Eagles are 6-1-1 in their last eight and 11-2-1 in their last 14 games against Division I teams.
Santa Margarita has done exceptionally well in Week 4 posting an 11-3 record. Their last loss was a 38-14 setback to San Clemente in 1998. They rebounded nicely to finish 10-4 and CIF-SS Division VI Runners-up. Also, with the win over Dorsey the Eagles improved to 13-1 in Week 3 games and 58-13-2 (.808) at Saddleback College.
The Eagles are ranked 4th in Orange County, 5th in the West by USA Today,
5th in CIF-SS Division I, 7th in Southern California per the L.A. Times,
7th in California per CalHi Sports, and 10th in the West per the National
Prep Poll. They have been ranked in the Orange County Top 10 for 74 of
the last 82 polls including 19 in a row, and in the Division I Top 10
by the CIF office in 30 of the 34 weekly polls since joining Division
I in 1999.
Head Coach Jim Hartigan - AFCA
Jim Hartigan, 42, is 119-39-3 (.748) in his 14th season as the Eagles'
varsity Head Coach. Overall, Coach Hartigan has a 135-42-4 (.757) record
in 16 seasons 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 four League Championships and two CIF Titles in the past six
years and has seen his team ranked as high as 12th in the nation (USA
Today). 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 12 of their 13 seasons,
including seven in a row, and has never posted a losing season. He has
coached eight High School All-Americans, 72 players who have gone on to
play in the collegiate ranks and five who have gone on to the NFL. His
28-game winning streak from 1996-98 is the second best in Orange County
history.
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
