Santa Margarita Has to Take the Independent Route to a Playoff Berth

Santa Margarita High School begins its second season of varsity football as the nomads of Orange County.

Last year’s team, mostly sophomores and juniors, was 8-4 (4-2 in the Olympic League) and won a Division X playoff game.

But there won’t be any hopes for an Olympic League title this year. There won’t be hopes for any league title this year.

The Eagles play an independent schedule and must either petition to reach the playoffs or hope for a wild-card berth. There are no more rivalries with Whittier Christian, no more clinching a playoff berth with a third-place league finish.

Instead, Santa Margarita’s schedule includes games against larger schools such as Pasadena, Cerritos Gahr and Downey Warren (all Division II) and University (Division VI).

“We’ve really beefed up our schedule compared to last year,” Coach Jim Hartigan said. “We’re involved with three Division II teams, where we’re in over our heads. We’ve got a pretty tough road ahead of us, and a lot of it has to do with the late notice (on becoming independent).”

Hartigan didn’t learn that the Eagles were going free lance until March. He had to schedule five new games to replace the slots previously held by Olympic League teams.

Southern Section playoff requirements demand free-lance teams to schedule 80% of their games against varsity teams, then win 50% of those games.

Hartigan hopes to do better.

“We’re going to have to win 70% of our games to be considered for the playoffs,” he said. “That will be tough. And if we do qualify, we won’t know what division we’ll play in.”

But Hartigan isn’t complaining too much.

Twenty-nine of his 39 players are returning lettermen.

Linebacker Mike Farris and defensive back Josh Ireland, all-Southern Section picks last season, will lead the defense. Quarterback Trevor Yankoff, who passed for more than 1,000 yards last year, and running back Ireland return to anchor an offense that averaged 18 points a game.

“When we’re healthy offensively, we’ll be tough,” Hartigan said. “We have a big front line and a quarterback who can pass and run. Defensively, we had five shutouts last year, and we have everyone returning.”

Brethren Christian: The Olympic League school, with an enrollment of 290 students, has moved to Cypress from Paramount. And first-year Coach Mike Roark was excited to see a new weight room when he came to campus.

“I was watching films of last year’s (2-8) team and we did great until the third quarter, then we looked tired,” he said. “I’m a weight-lifting nut, and I knew we had to work harder in the weight room.”

Roark had to make several other changes when he came to Brethren Christian last spring from San Diego West Hills High.

“I had to break some attitudes,” he said. “The kids here were getting used to losing.

“We’re not a 2-8 team anymore. We should be a playoff contender, barring injuries.”

Calvary Chapel: Coach Kris Van Hook has seen many good quarterbacks during his coaching days as an assistant at Newport Harbor and Estancia and as head coach at Cypress.

He says junior quarterback Jason Sharkey, 6 feet, 200 pounds, ranks among the best he has coached.

“He’s an excellent quarterback,” Van Hook said. “I would rate him, at least from a throwing standpoint, among the best I’ve coached. He has a very strong arm.”

The Costa Mesa school, a member of the Arrowhead League, is in its first varsity season. The Eagles’ junior varsity was 7-3 last year, and Van Hook says his varsity team needs a year to develop.

“We’re still pretty young,” Van Hook said. “Our secondary and receivers are experienced and we have experience at quarterback. Our weakness is our lack of depth, but we’re just like all other small schools in that sense.”

Capistrano Valley Christian: Coach Bob Denson thinks the Eagles won’t have much trouble improving last season’s 1-8 overall record and 1-3 showing in the Arrowhead League.

The Eagles’ offense is led by running back Brian Biegert, an all-league selection last season.

“He looks outstanding,” Denson said. “He has dropped his time in the 40-yard dash by three-tenths (to 4.5 seconds).”

Orange Lutheran: The Lancers of the Olympic League will run a power I-formation offense under first-year Coach Tim Taube.

“I like the balance we have,” Taube said. “We’re a little more run-oriented, but we won’t rely on just one back to carry the ball, but all four.”

Taube said junior Len Gavin won a tight race for the starting quarterback position over senior Karl Blanke. Blanke will start on the defensive line.

Southern California Christian: What has two consecutive Arrowhead League titles, two undefeated league records but only 14 players on its varsity roster?

You guessed it, Southern California Christian.

“We’ve got to stay healthy,” Coach Rick Hayes said. “If a couple of kids get hurt, then we have to go to our junior varsity roster. We have only 15 players there.”

Toby Dembowski was an all-league selection at outside linebacker last year, and will play inside linebacker and fullback this season. Quarterback Nathan Lambie also returns, and a corps of big linemen have made the Flames the team to beat in the league.

Whittier Christian: Coaches around the league say the Eagles are favorites to win the Olympic League again.

Just don’t say that to Whittier Christian Coach Phil Bravo.

“Favorites? I definitely wouldn’t say that,” Bravo said. “This year’s league is more competitive than last year. We have a fewer number of teams in league (five instead of six) and only three can go to playoffs.”

Key returnees for Bravo are Ron Rector, who replaces Ron Papazian, the county’s all-time single-season touchdown leader, at fullback, and quarterback Nick Sanchez, who started seven games last year. Rector gained 300 yards as a backup fullback last season and Sanchez threw nine touchdown passes.

Bravo also has been raving about Mickey Fortie, a cross-country runner and soccer player who decided to try out for football this season. Fortie, a 5-10, 185-pound senior, will play wide receiver and defensive back.