• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact Us
Sunday, May 28, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
The Capistrano Dispatch
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
The Capistrano Dispatch
No Result
View All Result

St. Margaret’s Football Secures CIF-SS Playoff Berth to Cap Comeback Season

by Capo Dispatch
October 28, 2022 4:13PM
in SPORTS & OUTDOORS, Sports News
St. Margaret’s Football Secures CIF-SS Playoff Berth to Cap Comeback Season

St. Margaret's football defeats Calvary Chapel. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

For in-game updates, news and more for all the San Juan Capistrano high school sports programs, follow us on Twitter @SouthOCSports and on Instagram @South_OC_Sports.

By Zach Cavanagh

SANTA ANA – Despite an 0-6 start, including a 0-2 start in its first season in the large public school-filled Orange Coast League, the St. Margaret’s football team had clawed its way back for one final opportunity to clinch a CIF-SS playoff berth.

Thursday night, Oct. 27, at Segerstrom High School set up the same way for both the visiting Tartans and host Calvary Chapel. Win, and you’re in. Lose, and go home.

St. Margaret’s won, and the Tartans are going to the CIF-SS playoffs.

St. Margaret’s got two touchdowns and two interceptions from senior Sam Dunnell, a 96-yard pick six from Owen Binder and a 13-yard interception touchdown from Maverick Young to shut down Calvary Chapel in the second half of a clinching victory, 49-22, to claim the third and final CIF-SS playoff berth from the Orange Coast League.

St. Margaret’s DB/WR Sam Dunnell had two interceptions and two touchdown catches to help lead the Tartans over Calvary Chapel, 49-22, and clinch a CIF-SS playoff berth. @SMESAthletics @SamuelDunnell pic.twitter.com/LWVHiivLCQ

— South OC Sports (@SouthOCsports) October 28, 2022

“At the end of the day, it’s all about these young men and young women,” St. Margaret’s coach Kory Minor said. “Their fight, their tenacity, their toughness, their resiliency, this coaching staff putting a plan together. This is a total team effort across the board. There’s no superstars. We’re all in this thing together.”

St. Margaret’s (4-6, 4-2) clinched its 21st consecutive CIF-SS playoff berth. The Tartans advanced to the Division 9 Final last season, and St. Margaret’s will likely slot into Division 12 when the CIF-SS divisions and brackets are revealed on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 10 a.m.

The CIF-SS playoff field is organized by the CalPreps computer algorithm ratings after the regular season is complete.

Without the league’s automatic playoff berth, Calvary Chapel (4-6, 3-3) will most likely miss the playoffs, as teams with winning records are given priority over ones with losing records for at-large applications, no matter the CalPreps rating.

  • St. Margaret’s football defeats Calvary Chapel. Photo: Zach Cavanagh
  • St. Margaret’s football defeats Calvary Chapel. Photo: Zach Cavanagh
  • St. Margaret’s football defeats Calvary Chapel. Photo: Zach Cavanagh
  • St. Margaret’s football defeats Calvary Chapel. Photo: Zach Cavanagh
  • St. Margaret’s football defeats Calvary Chapel. Photo: Zach Cavanagh
  • St. Margaret’s football defeats Calvary Chapel. Photo: Zach Cavanagh
  • St. Margaret’s football defeats Calvary Chapel. Photo: Zach Cavanagh

After starting the season 0-6, the St. Margaret’s offense caught fire down the stretch as the Tartans got healthier. Dunnell and senior Derek Smith returned from injuries, and St. Margaret’s scored 44 points or more in each of its final three games.

“It’s kind of just a momentum thing,” Dunnell said. “Every win we just build on it. We’re obviously getting all of our players back. We got Derek back. We got me back. We really just turn it up at practice, and we’re able to deliver it on game days.”

Junior quarterback Max Ruff completed 12 of 18 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns. Ruff’s first pass from scrimmage went out right to Dunnell, who sprinted the ball up the Tartans sideline on a 67-yard score. Dunnell caught four passes for 107 yards and two scores, and Smith caught six passes for 83 yards and a touchdown.

TOUCHDOWN: St. Margaret’s responds immediately.

Ruff hits Dunnell on the sideline, and Dunnell does the rest on a 67-yard TD sprint. @MaxRuff12 @SamuelDunnell @SMESAthletics 7, Calvary Chapel 7, 6:56, 1Q pic.twitter.com/RFkLptUJJO

— South OC Sports (@SouthOCsports) October 28, 2022

While the Tartans eventually cruised to the victory, the game did not open so cleanly.

On the opening drive of the game, Calvary Chapel converted on a 4th-and-6 and threw a 58-yard touchdown pass on a 3rd-and-22 to land the first strike of the game, 7-0.

St. Margaret’s immediately evened the score with the Ruff-to-Dunnell 67-yard score, but Calvary Chapel swung right back three plays later on a 79-yard over-the-top TD pass to regain the lead, 14-7.

The ensuing Tartans drive was lengthy and more under control, but Calvary Chapel stuffed St. Margaret’s on the 1-yard line on fourth down to deny another equalizing score.

After getting a stop and short Eagles punt, St. Margaret’s capitalized on its field position. Ruff hit Smith on a 37-yard catch-and-run and once more on a two-yard touchdown score to even the game, 14-14.

Later in the second quarter, the Tartans grabbed the lead at the end of an 11-play drive on a two-yard TD pass from Ruff to Dunnell with 43 seconds left in the half. On the other side of the ball, Dunnell pulled down an interception as the half expired to hold onto the lead, 21-14.

HALF: St. Margaret’s 21, Calvary Chapel 14

Half ends with this interception by Sam Dunnell, who also has both TD catches for @SMESAthletics. @SamuelDunnell pic.twitter.com/pN3afPJj8d

— South OC Sports (@SouthOCsports) October 28, 2022

Calvary Chapel nearly gave St. Margaret’s déjà vu to open the second half. After a Tartans 3-and-out, the Eagles carried out a methodical 11-play drive, including a fourth-down conversion. However, on the next set of downs, Binder swung the momentum completely back to the Tartans.

Binder nabbed an interception at the St. Margaret’s 4-yard line and found blockers as he crossed the field and completed the 96-yard marathon for the two-score lead, 28-14.

St. Margaret’s converted a fourth-down on its next drive, and after a 35-yard connection between Ruff and Binder, Ruff buried in the 1-yard sneak for a 21-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

Dunnell intercepted Calvary Chapel on the next drive, and following a 33-yard run by Andrew Miehe, Ruff drove in a 2-yard score. Miehe finished with 84 yards on nine carries.

Just 52 seconds later, Young tacked on St. Margaret’s final score with a keen interception and a 6-yard waltz into the end zone for the 49-14 lead.

Calvary Chapel salvaged one last touchdown pass and a two-point conversion with 20 seconds left to round out the game, 49-22.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by South OC Sports (@south_oc_sports)

Zach Cavanagh

Zach Cavanagh is the sports editor for Picket Fence Media. Zach is a multiple California Journalism Award winner and has covered sports in Orange County since 2013. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @ZachCav and follow our sports coverage on Twitter @SouthOCSports and Instagram @South_OC_Sports. Email at zcavanagh@picketfencemedia.com.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
Tags: CIFCIF-SSFeaturedFootballHigh School FootballOrange Coast LeaguePlayoffsSan Juan CapistranoSt. Margaret’sTartans
ShareTweetPin

Capo Dispatch

Related Posts

Otra Mas Celebrates 10th Anniversary with San Juan Community

Otra Mas Celebrates 10th Anniversary with San Juan Community

May 26, 2023 - Updated on May 27, 2023
City Considers Adding Enhancements to Serra Park

City Considers Adding Enhancements to Serra Park

May 26, 2023
On Life and Love After 50: A Night to Remember in Dana Point Harbor

On Life and Love After 50: 2 Senior Men Discuss the Challenges of Senior Dating

May 26, 2023
Adoptable Pet of the Week: Connor

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Connor

May 26, 2023
Next Post
JSerra Football’s Defense Smashes Orange Lutheran, Punches Playoff Ticket

JSerra Football’s Defense Smashes Orange Lutheran, Punches Playoff Ticket

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

The Dispatch Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get The Dispatch delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Current Issue
  • Contact Us
  • San Clemente Times
  • Dana Point Times
  • About Us

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye On SJC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit A Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SJC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • Dana Point Times
    • San Clemente Times
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SJC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit A Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Announcements
    • Submit An Announcement
  • Special Publications
    • A New You
    • Aging Well
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Guide
    • Go See Do
    • Good Eats
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Inside/Outside Home
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Swallows Day Parade & Mercado Event Guide
    • The Green Issue
  • SJC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2023 Picket Fence Media

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.