Santa Margarita Rolls Into Title Game

So much for the small stuff.

After blowing through the playoffs a year ago to win its first Southern Section title, Santa Margarita blew out most of its competition this year, too.

Finally, Friday, the Eagles put themselves back in the Division V championship game and extended their winning streak to 24 games.

Santa Margarita got a big defensive effort and scored a 27-7 semifinal victory over Newport Harbor in front of about 3,400 at Davidson Field.

It was a rematch of last year’s championship game, in which Santa Margarita scored a 38-0 victory over its fellow Sea View League opponent. It was also a rematch of this year’s 45-6 victory over the Sailors in which the Eagles scored on seven of its first eight possessions.

Though the Eagles were always in control, they hardly looked like the indomitable power they had previously. They dropped four passes that cost them two touchdowns and fumbled twice.

“We got a little sloppy at times, but our goal was to be in the finals,” Santa Margarita Coach Jim Hartigan said. “Hopefully, [this is] the one game we have where we don’t execute as well as we’d like to.

“Maybe playing them so often finally caught up to us.”

It’s the fourth time in two years the teams played. Still, Santa Margarita (13-0)) completed a workmanlike journey to position itself for a chance to defend its title next Saturday. Second-seeded Tustin (12-0) and third-seeded Brea Olinda (11-1) play tonight at Tustin (7:30 p.m.) for the chance to meet Santa Margarita.

The Eagles led, 17-0, at halftime and 27-0 going into the fourth quarter. Two dropped passes in the first half cost the Eagles two probable touchdowns.

Newport Harbor (10-3) played in its fifth consecutive semifinal. The Sailors were denied playing in their fourth title game in six years.

But the Sailors did something few have done this season. For only the second time, Santa Margarita played its first-team offense until the final gun. Quarterback Carson Palmer has played only 21 quarters in his 10 games.

“It was a change,” said Palmer, who completed 14 of 29 passes for 297 yards and one touchdown. “It’s nice to play a full game.”

It was the first time in the playoffs that Palmer, wide receiver John Minardi (eight catches for 158 yards) or running back Bryant Wolfsberger (17 carries, 87 yards, one touchdown) played beyond one series in the second half.

Newport Harbor, outgained, 474-129, made a game out of it until the final minute of the first half. The Sailors’ Brett Baker’s ninth pass interception and 14-yard return gave Newport Harbor the ball at the Santa Margarita 45--its deepest penetration of the half--with 1 minute 29 seconds left. But three incomplete passes, an 18-yard punt and 24 seconds later, Santa Margarita got the ball.

The Eagles covered 73 yards in 25 seconds, the last 57 coming on a deep pass down the middle from Palmer that Matt Brooks caught in stride.

That touchdown killed any upset hopes by the Sailors.

“That was a gut check,” Palmer said. “We knew we had to score. We weren’t playing real well. After that series, we went in at halftime knowing we could do it, and we came out in the second half the same way.

“It was the turning point.”

It sure was. Santa Margarita scored on its first possession of the second half, driving 73 yards in eight plays, the last being a trick play in which receiver Greg Orlando took a backward pass from Palmer and threw to a wide-open Minardi in the end zone.

Minardi followed with his second interception on the ensuing series and returned the ball 25 yards. Sparks, who kicked a 39-yard field goal after Minardi’s first interception to make it 10-0, kicked a 20-yard field goal for the 27-0 lead with 2:24 left in the third quarter.

Newport Harbor scored on Baker’s one-yard run with 6:23 remaining to cap a 29-yard drive. Baker, the county’s sixth-leading rusher averaging 6.4 yards per carry, was limited to 59 yards in 21 carries.