MISSION VIEJO — Former Santa Margarita players must like what they’ve seen with the 2025 version of the Eagles football team.
So did the retired coach who led Santa Margarita to its other state football championship in 2011.
Harry Welch was the coach of that ‘11 Eagles team that beat San Jose’s Bellarmine 42-37 in the CIF State Division I final.
Welch is the only coach to lead three different schools to CIF State football championships, having also won state titles at Canyon of Canyon Country and at St. Margaret’s.
Welch has seen Santa Margarita play this season, “directly or indirectly” as he put it Saturday. He attended the Army-Navy football game Saturday in Baltimore. Welch has some former players involved in both service academies and was an on-field guest.
He is a fan of current Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer with whom Welch said he has had a couple of brief exchanges.
“What’s he’s doing and what his assistant coaches are doing with this team is so awesome,” Welch said. “It’s something to be proud of. It seems to me they’re doing it with class and discipline.”