This is the second game between Santa Margarita and the Dana Hills Dolphins. Last year, Spencer McCroskey rushed for a career-high 147 yards and the Eagle defense forced three turnovers to lead Santa Margarita to its 28th consecutive win with a 26-15 victory. On Dana Hills' first offensive series, defensive end Colin Rooke had one of the best defensive plays in Eagle history as he blew up an option play in the backfield, forced a fumble, recovered it and raced 49 yards for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead. Santa Margarita QB Greg Orlando scored from one yard out to build the lead to 7-3 with 8:38 left in the third quarter. Dana Hills did not give up as they went on a 16-play 80-yard drive capped by a fumble recovered in the Eagle endzone cutting the lead to 17-9. The Eagles put the game away on a nine-play 71-yard drive capped by Matt Froehlich's second field goal, from 25-yards, and a seven-yard touchdown run by Orlando with 4:16 left to increase the lead to 26-9. Defensively, John Bennett recorded 14 tackles and Matt Szkalak chipped in 12. Trent Zinn picked up three tackles and also his first career interception.

Dana Hills is 0-2 after losses to Fountain Valley and Los Alamitos. They finished the 1998 season 4-6.

Santa Margarita is 37-18 (.673) all-time against teams from the southern part of Orange County.

Head Coaches:

Eagle Head Coach Jim Hartigan is 95-30-1 (.758) in his 11th season as varsity Head Coach. Overall Coach Hartigan has a 111-33-2 (.767) if you include 10-0 and 6-3-1 lower level teams that he led in 1987 and 1988 respectively before the Eagles fielded varsity teams. He was honored as the both the 1996 and 1997 Daily Pilot Sea View League Coach of the Year, CIF-SS Division V Coach of the Year and the National Football Foundation Orange County Coach of the Year. The Dolphins are led by fourth-year coach Scott Orloff who has a 14-18-1 (.439) record.