Eagle Wide Receivers Form a Century Club in Title Victory

Santa Margarita’s wide receivers weren’t sure what defense Tustin was playing at times, but for the most part it really didn’t matter.

Some said it was man-to-man but Greg Orlando said at times it looked like some weird zone where a defender would just sprint away from him.

One thing was certain: Whatever Tustin tried, it was no match for the Eagles.

Three members of the receiver corps--senior John Minardi and juniors Orlando and Mike O’Gorman--had at least 100 yards in receiving as Santa Margarita won its second consecutive Southern Section Division V title with a 55-42 victory over Tustin at Cal State Fullerton.

“All the receivers did a phenomenal job of catching the ball,” said Santa Margarita Coach Jim Hartigan. “We had to bring that offense here to win this game. Thank God we didn’t stall on any drives.”

Minardi, who came into the game with 64 receptions for 1,345 yards and 17 touchdowns, added six catches for 124 yards. He also had two touchdown passes, including the one that put Santa Margarita ahead for good early in the second quarter.

The Eagles trailed, 20-14, and faced fourth down and three at the Tustin 46.

After a timeout, Hartigan sent his offense out in favor of the punting team. Quarterback Carson Palmer threw an interior screen to Minardi, who was cutting back to the middle of the field along the line of scrimmage.

Minardi, who has committed to Colorado, caught the ball and followed a couple of strong blocks that led him to the wide open middle of the field. He then raced to the end zone and Santa Margarita started to take control.

“Carson threw perfect passes to all the receivers,” Minardi said. “It was just a huge night.”

Minardi’s second touchdown pass was good for 11 yards and put Santa Margarita ahead, 41-26, with 1:16 left in the third quarter.

Matt O’Gorman added five catches for 127 yards but didn’t go over the 100-yard mark until late in the game.

It was his 25-yard touchdown reception with 3:28 left in the game that gave Santa Margarita a 55-34 lead. He had a 35-yard reception a play earlier in the drive when he took a 10-yard out pattern and broke a tackle for a big gain.

O’Gorman came into the game with 12 catches for 168 yards and one touchdown.

Orlando was the last member to join the century club, catching five passes for 115 yards. He came into the game with 32 receptions.

He had catches of 46 and 32 yards in the game and his 32-yard touchdown catch tied the score, 14-14, with 54 seconds left in the first quarter.

“We knew we were the better team and we took [the championship],” Orlando said. “We knew we had to score on every possession because of their offense.”