Nothing changes at St. Margaret's
The Tartans triumph over Blair of Pasadena
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO- Some names have changed on the St. Margaret’s football team, but the results remained the same.
The defending Small Schools state champion scored on the ground, through the air and on special teams in recording its Orange County-record 44th consecutive victory in a 68-0 triumph over Blair of Pasadena in the opener for both teams Friday night at St. Margaret’s High.
St. Margaret’s (1-0) dominated on all fronts as the Tartans scored seemingly at will against the Vikings (0-1) — eight touchdowns on nine possessions.
“I was concerned coming into the game because I knew Blair was bigger and faster than us,” Tartans coach Harry Welch said. “But as the game went on, we got into a rhythm, started swarming on defense and played better.”
Senior John Murayama, a standout on last season’s squad, rushed for a game-high 98 yards and three touchdowns, and quarterback Brennan Smith was efficient in his first varsity start, finishing 3-of-4 passing for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
The Tartans also scored on a 65-yard punt return by Davis Edwards and a 7-yard fumble recovery by Mike Schmall after a blocked punt by John Carpenter.
Sophomore Matt Duenas was a spark off the bench, rushing for 69 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensively, St. Margaret’s limited the Vikings to just 69 total yards on offense and four first downs. Blair failed to record a first down in the second half.
