Eagles 27 - Bishop Amat 3
LA PUENTE, CA., October 17, 2003 – The Eagles put on one their most impressive performances since joining the Serra League in 1999 as they defeated the Bishop Amat Lancers 27-3 before a homecoming crowd of 4,500 at Kiefer Stadium. The win improved the Eagles’ record to 6-0 for the first time since 1997 while the Lancers fell to 4-2. Santa Margarita excelled in all facets of their game as the defense limited the Lancers to minus-seven yards of total offense and two first downs while their offense rolled up 366 yards mostly behind the running of quarterback Michael Angelo and running backs Chris Ramsey and Omar Villamar. Although the Eagle offense and special teams units were clicking, the defensive effort was particularly noteworthy. Leading the way were seniors Matt Rupp, Mark Restelli, Jack Meehan and Jeff Azula. Rupp was a disruptive force all evening as he logged nine total tackles including seven in the backfield – four of which were sacks tying his school record. Rupp set the tone on the first play from scrimmage pressuring the Lancer QB into an incompletion and blowing-up a running play in the backfield for a four-yard loss one snap later. On the next play Restelli picked off a pass, but fumbled it, however, teammate Jason Graban picked it up and returned it to the Lancer 26. Five plays later Angelo ran in untouched from nine yards out to make it 7-0 with 8:52 left in the opening quarter. Meehan was all over the field the entire game posting a team-high 13 tackles and Azula stopped two drives with sacks in helping limit the Lancers to no first downs after the first quarter.
In the second quarter Angelo (14 carries for 94 yards rushing and five of ten for 72 yards passing) directed a nine-play, 80-yard drive capped by his own 24-yard scoring run to make it 14-0 with 8:25 left in the half. In that drive key runs by Ramsey (16 carries for 123 yards) resulted in Eagle first downs. A pair of field goals from 23 and 35 yards out by Mike Fowle each set up by solid runs by Villamar (16 carries for 90 yards) - the later one set up as a result of an interception near midfield by Restelli with 0:50 left in the half - made it 20-0 at the break. On their opening drive of the second half the Eagles went on a five-play 65-yard drive which ended with a 24-yard scoring scamper by Ramsey to make it 27-0 with 9:54 remaining in the third quarter. The lone Lancer score was the result of a bad snap on a punt that set the hosts up at the Eagle seven late in the third quarter. Bishop Amat couldn’t punch it in as two tackles by Meehan and a sack by Azula forced a 31-yard field that closed out the scoring. The Eagles dominated in yards gained 366 to minus seven, yards per play - 6.3 to minus 0.2, first downs – 16 to two, and in time of possession 26:35 to 21:25. Their seven total sacks were one shy of the single-game team mark set in 1996.
| Santa Margarita | 7 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 27 |
| Bishop Amat | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
SM – Angelo 9 run (kick good)
SM – Angelo 24 run (kick good)
SM – Fowle 23 FG
SM – Fowle 35 FG
SM – Ramsey 24 run (kick good)
BA – Mitwasi 31 FG
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Angelo 14-94, Ramsey 16-123, Villamar 16-90; Wagner 22
Passing: SM - Angelo 5-10-0-72; BA - Robles 2-7-2-13
Receiving: –
By Adrian Peters
Sports Information Director
Lancers get handled up front
Santa Margarita dominates line in 27-3 rout of Bishop Amat
LA PUENTE – The quarterback for Santa Margarita is named Michael Angelo, but it was the Eagles' defense that delivered a masterpiece Friday night in a 27-3 victory over Bishop Amat at Kiefer Stadium.
Bishop Amat quarterback Daniel Robles was sacked six times for minus-50 yards as the Eagles' stronger line shoved the Lancers around in the Serra League opener for both teams.
Amat (4-2, 0-1) finished with minus-4 yards of total offense and as many turnovers as pass completions (two).
Robles was 2 of 7 for 13 yards and two interceptions. William Wagner led Amat in rushing with 22 yards.
"Worst we've played in 100 years,' a priest muttered on the Amat sidelines in the first half.
Angelo ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns and running back Chris Ramsey ran for 122 yards and a score for the Eagles (6-0, 1-0).
"We got handled up front,' Lancers coach Mike Di Fiori said. "They took it to us. They dictated the game.'
Amat's only points came on Jamal Mitwasi's 31-yard field goal in the third quarter that made the score 27-3.
Amat had won three games in a row, but was coming off a bye week and had not played since Oct. 3.
Di Fiori was asked if his team's play was a result of rust.
"You hope so,' he said. "That might be the cause. We need to find a way to get back to game speed.
"I think this week we took a step backward and we lost a little momentum. We need to get that momentum back. It doesn't get any easier.'
Amat, which was ranked No. 9 in Division I coming into the game, is in the toughest league in the area. The six-team Serra League went 24-6 in nonleague play through five weeks.
Division I No. 6 Santa Margarita coach Mike Jacot said the Lancers may have lost focus because the game was their homecoming.
"After watching them on tape, we thought they were the best team in our league,' he said. "We went through this last week with homecoming. Homecoming is a distraction for everybody.
"I think we took them out of their game. I think they wanted to run the ball and then we got ahead and they had to throw. We kept them pinned the whole night.'
Eagles defensive tackle Matt Rupp had 3 1/2 sacks.
"He is so big and strong,' Jacot said. "I think they tried to single- block him and you really can't do that."
By Dave Melendi
Saturday, October 18, 2003
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
