Second Chance Goes Santa Margarita’s Way

Santa Margarita got a second chance at Irvine and used the opportunity to plug all the holes exposed in the first meeting.

This time around, the Eagles gave up 53 yards in offense and dominated in a 17-0 victory in a Southern Section Division VI semifinal game Friday at Trabuco Hills High.

Santa Margarita advances to a third consecutive Southern Section championship game. Meanwhile, Irvine is left wondering what the difference was a month ago when the Vaqueros scored four times from 50 yards or more and won, 42-18, in a Sea View League contest against Santa Margarita.

Santa Margarita will play the winner of tonight’s game between top-seeded Woodbridge and Servite, but the Eagle fans made the feelings known late by chanting, “We want Woodbridge.”

Woodbridge also beat Santa Margarita in a Sea View League game.

“They got their kids prepared to play better than we did,” Irvine Coach Terry Henigan said, “especially in the first half. You could see that. . . . But my opinion of our team hasn’t changed just because the scoreboard says we lost. We had a good year.”

Santa Margarita scored all its points in the first half behind quarterback Greg Orlando, who had an 81-yard scramble for a touchdown and also a key punt return that set up the first touchdown.

But Irvine never had a chance to rally in the second half thanks to the Eagles’ swarming defense.

Irvine quarterback Sean Van de Merghel was the hardest hit; he was sacked six times and finished with minus-51 yards rushing. Because of the pressure, Irvine was unable to mount much of a passing game.

Van de Merghel, who came into the game with 1,908 yards passing and 24 touchdowns, was five for 17 for 16 yards.

Four of those incompletion passes came on consecutive plays in a drive that was Irvine’s best chance to score. Sophomore running back David Doomey had rushed 14 yards to give Irvine a first down at the Santa Margarita 29 early in the second quarter.

But Van de Merghel’s four misses ended that scoring opportunity.

Colin Rooke, a senior defensive end, was in on three sacks for Santa Margarita, including two in the fourth quarter. He and John Cappelletti had consecutive sacks that left Irvine with a fourth and 34 at its own six in the third quarter.

The two combined for a sack on the next series to force Irvine into one of its 10 punts.

“They just couldn’t contain our strong side,” Rooke said.

Santa Margarita wasn’t much better on offense except for Orlando, who extended his streak of either running for, throwing for or catching a touchdown pass to 15 consecutive games.

His 81-yard run came when he took a quick drop, then saw an opening. He started up the middle, cut to the left after two key blocks and raced up the sideline. His touchdown came with 3 minutes 11 seconds left in the second quarter.

“Coach Hartigan is always telling us that if I’m not comfortable with a play to just take off,” Orlando said, “The field opened up like the Red Sea and I just took it on that play.”

Orlando set up the first touchdown with a 27-yard punt return that gave the Eagles a first down at the Irvine 33.

Spencer McCroskey capped the short drive with an 11-yard run in which he started left then made a swift right turn to the open field and an easy touchdown with 1:38 left in the first quarter.

“I’m happy to be in a third consecutive championship game,” Santa Margarita Coach Jim Hartigan said. “But I still have an empty feeling right now. I want to go win it.”