State’s longest streak now belongs to St. Margaret’s

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With St. Margaret’s 70-20 victory over Western Christian this past weekend, the Tartans now have the longest active winning streak in the state at 21 games. They inherited the mantel after Manteca was defeated, 21-20, by Oakdale.

The Southern Section record for victories is 48, held by Oaks Christian, which had its streak ended against St. Bonaventure earlier this season. Concord De La Salle’s 151-game streak, ended in 2004, is the nation’s longest.

It might be easy to dismiss St. Margaret’s because of its 200-student enrollment, but there doesn’t appear to be a serious challenger to the Tartans this season. They could win another seven games -- assuming they are not chosen for the State Division III Bowl game -- and enter 2008 with a 28-game streak.

Next year, the Tartans will begin their second season under Coach Harry Welch, pictured above, who has made a good program better, according to his players. And remember, this is during the honeymoon adjustment period. If Welch’s principles and teachings help the program get better -- and it’s reasonable to think the longer he’s there, the better the program will become -- then it’s not unreasonable to think the Tartans have a fighting chance to go undefeated next year, too.

That would bring Oaks Christian into sight in 2009.

But that’s not what Welch has in mind.

‘I’ve been to Oaks Christian, I know Bill Redell very well, that’s a whole different emphasis,’ said Welch, whose 46-game winning streak at Canyon Country Canyon in the mid-1980s was the record broken by Oaks Christian. ‘Part of their mission statement as a school includes athletics. That’s the furthest thing from the mission at St. Margaret’s. They do not wish to change, nor are they going to.’

Still, you’d be foolish to think the Tartans are going to roll over any time soon.

- Martin Henderson