Sunday, January 29, 2012
Santa Margarita Catholic's principal and president send a letter to parents indicating that even though Coach Harry Welch is cleared of criminal wrongdoing, they're not ready to invite him back until they're satisfied with their investigation.
Even though football coach Harry Welch has been cleared by the Orange County District Attorney's office for his role in an incident at Santa Margarita Catholic High, the school isn't ready to reinstate him from the paid administrative leave he has been on since Jan. 20. That was spelled out in an email to parents on Saturday from President Paul Carey and Principal Ray Dunne. The extremely successful football coach who guided Santa Margarita to Southern Section Pac-5 and State Bowl Championships was involved in a Dec. 13 incident in which there was a claim he "pushed or shoved" a student-athlete, according to police. The tip came in an anonymous e-mail; the student nor his family refused to file charges against the coach. Orange County …
Monday, December 19, 2011
Santa Margarita wins a State Bowl Championship against long odds, trailing by nine points in the fourth quarter. Here's a look at some of the plays that will never be forgotten.
Santa Margarita's victory Saturday over San Jose Bellarmine Prep gave the Eagles the State Division I Bowl Championship. Amid chants of "We believe" and "Johnny Stanton," the Eagles scored 21 points -- half of their total in a 42-37 victory -- in the fourth quarter. Here's a short film by Brandon Petersen looking at the Eagles' fourth quarter and the winning drive that students, and many in the community, will never forget.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Junior quarterback runs and passes the Eagles on a last-minute drive, scoring on fourth-and-goal from the one, to beat Bellarmine of San Jose Friday at Home Depot Center in Carson.
Junior quarterback Johnny Stanton drove his team 80 yards with less than two minutes to play and scored on a fourth-and-one plunge with 16 seconds left to give Santa Margarita a 42-37 victory over Bellarmine of San Jose in the CIF State Division I Bowl Championship football game Friday night at the Home Depot Center in Carson. It was a defining moment for the Eagles. They could have had John McGrory kick an 18-yard field goal. Instead, Coach Harry Welch put the game in the hands of Stanton and his offensive line. "I felt awfully strongly about Max Tuerk and Johnny Stanton," Welch said of his USC-bound lineman and junior QB. "Since they had brought us here, I believed that would be a good way to win. And, if we lost with John Stanton and …
With Santa Margarita's 42-37 victory, Harry Welch joins a rare group of coaches who can be called legends.
There is something special about him. He called himself a gambler Friday night after his team won the State Division I Bowl championship, coming back from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter. He gambled with less than two minutes remaining when he told his defense to let the other team score so that the Eagles could get the ball back with enough time to win the game. Then he gambled on fourth and one, with 16 seconds left, and bet on his offensive line and his quarterback. Harry Welch knows the game, and he knows players. And, apparently, he knows the odds. He called the leader of his offensive line, Max Tuerk, and the leader of his team, Johnny Stanton, a couple of thoroughbreds. So he put his confidence and the ball in their hands…
Surprising Eagles (12-2), who muscled their way to the CIF-SS Pac-5 title, will meet the Central Coast champion Bells in the Division I bowl game Friday at the Home Depot Center in Carson.
One team was expected all along to be here at season's end; the other wasn't. So, it wasn't surprising when Bellarmine Prep of San Jose was named Sunday to represent Northern California in the California State Division I Bowl Championship game to be played Friday night at the Home Depot Center in Carson. But when the Bells' opponent was announced, well, it was a shock for many, but quite a pleasant one for Santa Margarita Catholic's football players, its coaches and fans. After all, the young Eagles (12-2) had lost two Trinity League games during the regular season and finished runner-up in league to two-time defending CIF Southern Section Pac-5 champion Servite (10-2). One of those defeats was a 21-14 loss to Mater Dei (4-6), a team that …
Santa Margarita Catholic plays Bellarmine Prep of San Jose on Friday.
Well, we think we know how this poll is going to turn out, but we're going to ask the question anyway. On Friday at Home Depot Center in Carson, Santa Margarita Catholic will play San Jose Bellarmine Prep for the Division I Bowl Championship. Bellarmine runs a double-wing, similar to what Tustin has run. But the Bells aren't very big up front, with their linemen topping out at about 210 pounds. That's a stark contrast to Santa Margarita, which has an offensive line that averages close to 300 pounds. Will Harry Welch coach the Eagles to their first Bowl championship (and his third with three teams)? Or will Bellarmine prove to be too exacting in their execution and keep the ball out of Johnny Stanton's hands? Remember, this is a team that …
Thursday, December 15, 2011
A look back on the games that helped define the Eagles.
Santa Margarita Catholic's football team has played 14 games that have helped define it, helped fans get a feel for who and what this team is. The 15th game could galvanize its legacy. This video was made by Brandon Petersen, who has covered the Eagles much of the season for Patch. It's a look back because with one game remaining, Santa Margarita still has so much to look forward to.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Santa Margarita Catholic will be selling tickets on campus for Eagles' Division I game against Bellarmine of San Jose There are several ways to follow the action if you can't make it to the Home Depot Center on Friday night.
Tickets for the State Division I Bowl Championship football game between Santa Margarita Catholic and Bellarmine of San Jose go on sale Tuesday morning at Santa Margarita High. Kickoff on Friday is 8 p.m. at the Home Depot Center in Carson. General admission is $15 for adults and $10 for seniors (age 65 and older with ID), students (with valid high school ID) and childen. Tickets will be on sale from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. on the third floor of the Eagle Athletic Center through Thursday. Cash or check only. Tickets are also being sold at the Home Depot Center's box office, located at 18400 Avalon Blvd.,daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on the night of the game. Tickets can also be ordered online by clicking here, though there is an additional…
Led by USC-bound Max Tuerk, the offensive line has anchored the Eagles' success this season.
Quarterbacks throw for touchdowns, and tailbacks run them in. Linebackers rack up tackles, and cornerbacks pick off passes. But offensive lineman are responsible for the only statistic that ultimately matters, the one that shows up each week in the win/loss column. Santa Margarita Catholic, which will play in the California Interscholastic Federation Division I State Bowl Campionship against San Jose Bellarmine Prep on Dec. 16 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, easily boasts one of the most dominant offensive lines in the nation. Led by USC-bound tackle Max Tuerk, the Eagles' line is imposing, intelligent, nasty and fun-loving. From right to left, the group includes, tackle Riley Sorenson, guard Cole Luther, center Dane Crane, guard Erik …
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Young Santa Margarita squad allows San Clemente only two possessions in second half on way to winning the biggest game of CIF Southern Section's toughest division at Angel Stadium on Saturday night.
Johnny Stanton did it again. The junior quarterback with the seemingly magical season once again led Santa Margarita to a victory, but not just any victory. In front of 14,424 at Angel Stadium, Stanton ran and passed the Eagles to their first football championship since winning back-to-back titles in 1996-97 with a 27-13 victory over San Clemente. Stanton rushed for 148 yards and one touchdown and passed for 92 and another to give Santa Margarita the Southern Section Pac-5 championship Saturday night. The Eagles (12-2) should be in the conversation Sunday when CIF commissioners choose which teams will play in State Bowl games. The victory was the third in a row against an opponent that had lost only one game to a Southern Section team …
Stamper
5:14 pm on Sunday, January 29, 2012
i think these are all good points, actually. Some of the other comments on the other articles about Coach Welch started taking more emotional view points. I think it's a good idea to get some unbiased information, and maybe an investigation will do that. i did read some of the links someone posted in the comments of one of the other articles, and it sounds like there's something to investigate. … more ›