Santa Margarita Goes South Against Carlsbad

And Santa Margarita thought the Serra League was going to be tough.

Friday night, the Eagles discovered the Avocado League can be just as brutal. They were manhandled by the bigger and more physical Carlsbad Lancers in a 40-20 loss before 3,500 at Carlsbad High.

The Lancers showed their No. 12 ranking in the state by Cal-Hi Sports was no fluke. Meanwhile, the Eagles didn’t show much to pollsters, who ranked them No. 1 in Orange County and No. 5 in the state.

So how good is Carlsbad?

“They’re up there,” Santa Margarita Coach Jim Hartigan said of Carlsbad. “I’m not an expert in rankings. We’ve been over-ranked from the beginning.”

Apparently so.

Carlsbad (2-0) scored on its first six possessions to take a 33-3 third quarter lead. Santa Margarita (1-1) turned the ball over five times and was outgained 240 to 35 in the first half.

Lancer quarterback Brian Gutierrez outplayed his more celebrated counterpart, Chris Rix. Gutierrez passed for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Rix, who has committed to Florida State, was four for 17 with two interceptions and he was sacked twice.

Santa Margarita was 6-1 against San Diego County teams, including last week’s 24-6 victory over San Diego Lincoln. But Carlsbad was no Lincoln.

The Lancers had 13 starters back from a section division runner-up team and five Division-I players. Fullback Puma Faumuina and tight end/linebacker Brandon Chillar have already committed to California and UCLA, and both proved to Santa Margarita why they belong in the Pac-10.

Faumuina, a 6-foot, 250-pound bull, rushed for 109 yards--100 in the first half--and a touchdown in 17 carries.

“He was tough for us to stop last year,” Hartigan said. “He got going early and he’s a load to bring down.”

So was Chillar, who had two one-handed catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. His 36-yard grab from Gutierrez made the score 33-3 with 4:25 left.

Santa Margarita never had much rhythm offensively, partly because of Carlsbad’s swarming, blitzing defense and partly because it couldn’t hang on to the ball.

Santa Margarita’s miscues started on its first drive when Trent Zinn fumbled in Carlsbad territory after the Eagles had collected two first downs. Carlsbad countered with a 63-yard drive in eight plays, capped by Faumuina’s three-yard run.

In addition to Rix’s two interceptions, Tyler Thompson fumbled away two punts. In two games, Rix--a transfer from La Puente Bishop Amat--is 10 of 35 for 118 yards.

“We haven’t gotten in any rhythm with Chris or any offense,” Hartigan said.