FACTS AND FIGURES / PLAYOFF HISTORY

Corona del Mar

Last appearance: 1995.

Record: 15-13 in 15 appearances.

Highlights: Won back-to-back Division VI titles, defeating Valencia in the 1988 final and La Quinta in 1989.

El Toro

Last appearance: 1996.

Record: 33-14 in 16 appearances.

Highlights: Team of the ‘80s had a 22-7 playoff record in the decade, winning a Central Conference championship in 1982 and Southern Conference titles in 1986 and ’87. Added a Division V championship in 1995.

Irvine

Last appearance: 1996.

Record: 12-4 in seven appearances.

Highlights: Won three consecutive championships, defeating Dana Hills in 1991 Division II final, then added Division IV championships, topping Newport Harbor in 1992 and Moreno Valley Canyon Springs in 1993.

Newport Harbor

Last appearance: 1996.

Record: 28-17 in 18 appearances since 1945.

Highlights: Defeated Servite, 20-15, to cap a 14-0 season with the school’s first section championship, the Division V title in 1994.

Santa Margarita

Last appearance: 1997 (third year in a row).

Record: 14-6 in eight appearances.

Highlights: Defeated Tustin, 55-42, in 1997 for second consecutive Division V championship. Won school’s first championship the previous year, with a 38-0 victory over Sea View League rival Newport Harbor.

Woodbridge

Last appearance: 1997.

Record: 11-5 in six appearances.

Highlights: Defeated West Hills Chaminade, 13-10, for the Desert-Mountain Conference title in 1987.

1997 IN REVIEW

Santa Margarita won the league and Southern Section’s Division V title for the second year in a row. The Eagles’ Carson Palmer was slowed by a stress fracture in his foot early in the season but still led county passers with 2,607 yards (19.2 per completion) and had 31 touchdowns with only four interceptions.

If Palmer wasn’t enough, the Eagles had balance in Bryant Wolfsberger, a transfer from Capistrano Valley Christian who rushed for 1,772 yards (8.5 per carry) and scored 28 touchdowns, and a defense that gave up more than 15 points only three times in 14 games.

John Minardi, a two-way starter, caught 70 passes and averaged 21.0 yards per reception. He also had five interceptions. Greg Orlando, who went 4-0 as a fill-in for Palmer at quarterback, averaged 19.6 yards per catch.

Santa Margarita defeated league rival Newport Harbor in the section semifinals before outlasting Tustin in the section championship game, 55-42.

The season marked the return of Woodbridge to competitive standing. The Warriors were 0-19-1 in two previous seasons and their winless streak reached 26 before beating Pacifica in Week 2. Woodbridge finished second to Santa Margarita. Only two of Woodbridge’s regular-season games were decided by more than 10 points, seven by seven points or fewer.

Newport Harbor played its first season without Tony Ciarelli as its long-time strength coach; he left to coach Huntington Beach, but the Sailors still reached the playoffs. Only two teams played Santa Margarita to a closer outcome than Newport Harbor’s 27-7 semifinal loss.

Irvine missed running back Al Williams much of the season while he recuperated from an injury and missed the playoffs in the process.

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League

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Standings W L T Santa Margarita 5 0 0 Woodbridge 3 1 1 Newport Harbor 3 2 0 El Toro 2 2 1 Irvine 1 4 0 Corona del Mar 0 5 0

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Overall

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Standings W L T TP PA Santa Margarita 14 0 0 651 168 Woodbridge 8 2 2 181 159 Newport Harbor 10 3 0 348 204 El Toro 3 6 1 158 259 Irvine 3 7 0 136 247 Corona del Mar 2 8 0 106 238

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Leaders / Statistics include regular-season games only

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PASSING Att Cp TD Yds Palmer, Sta Margarita 128 82 19 1,450 Strand, El Toro 213 126 7 1,326 Howard, Irvine 211 101 8 1,194 Barlow, Woodbridge 182 107 10 1,051 Gorman, Newp Harbor 124 66 7 751

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RUSHING Att Yds Avg. Baker, Newport Harbor 216 1,418 6.6 Wolfsberger, Sta Margarita 142 1,392 9.8 Moore, El Toro 103 743 7.2 Williams, Irvine 102 590 5.8 Harris, Woodbridge 127 570 4.5

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RECEIVING Att Yds Avg. Minardi, Santa Margarita 44 901 20.4 Ohlwiler, El Toro 40 425 10.6 Cooper, Corona del Mar 39 431 11.1 Bumiller, El Toro 38 402 10.6 Garcia, Newport Harbor 25 306 12.2

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SCORING TD FG XP Pts Baker, Newport Harbor 23 0 0 138 Wolfsberger, Santa Margarita 21 0 0 126 Minardi, Santa Margarita 13 0 0 78 Sparks, Santa Margarita 0 6 52 70 Orlando, Santa Margarita 10 0 0 60

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