Eagles 21 - Servite 0
Santa Margarita beats Servite with familiar attack
MISSION VIEJO, CA., October 5, 2012 – Top-ranked Santa Margarita looked different on offense without quarterback Johnny Stanton.
But some things appeared the same for the Eagles as they opened the Trinity League against No. 9 Servite on Friday.
Santa Margarita’s defense and safety Connor O’Brien were just as ferocious, and running back Ryan Wolpin still gained the important yards behind his huge offensive line in the second half.
Both staples helped the Eagles snap a seven-year losing streak to the Friars with a 21-0 victory at Saddleback College.
Santa Margarita (6-0, 1-0) held Servite (2-4, 0-1) to 73 yards offense and three first downs in its first game since losing Stanton to a season-ending knee injury.
Defensive end Nick Begg recorded two sacks while O’Brien delivered a spark late in the third quarter with a big hit.
The Eagles’ Gian Carlo Spinosi blocked a field goal late in the first half that helped Santa Margarita notch its third shutout.
“The defense played very hard,” Santa Margarita coach Harry Welch said. “I thought the defense was consistent from beginning to the very, very end.”
O’Brien’s hit came on Servite’s second possession of the second half. A few plays after O’Brien broke up a first-down pass with a jarring hit, the Friars sailed a snap on a punt from near mid-field.
Tony Bone made the recovery and returned the ball to the Friars 17. Four plays later, Wolpin scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 14-0 lead with 1:01 left in the third.
Santa Margarita’s offense then produced one its best drives in the fourth. The Eagles drove 58 yards in 6:20 for a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kyle Sweet for the final margin.
Sweet, a sophomore, started the second half in place of starter Josh Canty.
Sweet ran for 52 yards in the second half and also completed 6 of 7 passes for 36 yards. Canty was 5 for 8 in the first half for 30 yards and two interceptions.
The dual-threat Stanton averaged almost 190 yards passing, but Welch was pleased with how his team fared without the Nebraska commit.
“The offense is going to get a whole lot better,” Welch said. “Try two new quarterbacks after Johnny Stanton has been the man for 20 consecutive games. To just throw someone in there in the middle of the season is very, very difficult. … They were thrown into the fire.”
Servite’s defense forced three turnovers in the first half, including two in the first 6:21 of the first quarter, but couldn’t convert any into points.
The Friars also held Wolpin to 64 yards, well below his 145 average.
“I think they’re a great football team even without (Stanton),” Servite coach Troy Thomas said.
“I think that Johnny Stanton is all of a man, and they’re going to miss him for sure, but I think they have a good offensive line, good receivers, good defense.”
Santa Margarita led, 7-0, at halftime on a 1-yard touchdown dive by Wolpin with 3:33 left in the second quarter. The senior scored capped a five-minute, 56-yard drive.
Servite missed field goals of 47 and 25 yards in the first half. The Friars moved into the field goal position for a 25-yard attempt just before half on a 46-yard completion from Travis Waller to Equanimeous St. Brown to the Eagles’ 8 with seven seconds left.
| Santa Margarita | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Servite | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SM – Wolpin 1 run (Ury kick)
SM – Wolpin 1 run (Ury kick)
SM – Sweet 2 run (Ury kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Wolpin 14-64, Sweet 11-52, Hume 2-28, Mazolewski 4-23
Passing: SM - Sweet 6-7-0-36, Canty 5-8-2-29
Receiving: SM - Cracraft 4-22, McNiff 3-16, Sweet 1-18
By Dan Albano
Saturday, October 6, 2012
The Orange County Register
