Prep football: Individual attention

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT COAST - The Sage Hill High football team, preparing for its

first varsity season in 2002, is enjoying its first spring session. But,

with six coaches overseeing just 19 players, it’s more like a spring

tutorial than the more traditional spring practice.

“A lot of kids are getting a lot of one-on-one coaching,” said Tom

Monarch, who has guided the program from its inception in the fall of

2000. “As opposed to working seven-on-seven like most programs, we’ll

break down into individual positions. When we’re working with the

receivers and backs, the lineman may be in the weight room, or doing

agility drills.”

The limited numbers, which include four or five players who will be a

part of the school’s first senior class, will be bolstered by the arrival

of a freshman class incorporated into the varsity program next fall.

“Next year, the school will be dominated by freshmen and sophomores,”

said Monarch, a walk-on who is a detective with the Newport Beach Police

Department.

Monarch, however, expects to be competitive in the Academy League next

season.

“We went 5-0 in Academy League junior varsity games to win the league

title last year,” Monarch said. “Considering we didn’t win a game the

first year, our kids were very excited about their progress last year. I

think our kids realize they have a tremendous challenge this year, but

the attitudes are great. And the kids we have are the same ones we’ve had

before, so everyone is very comfortable with what the coaches expect from

them.”

With a working knowledge of their players’ abilities, little time is

wasted evaluating personnel. Instead, Monarch and his staff can work on

skill development, as well as implementing a wide-open offense that will

incorporate four-receiver sets.

“I was a running guy at Anaheim (one of Monarch’s previous stops), and

we ran about 60% of the time last year,” Monarch said. “But we’ll

probably turn that around and throw the ball about 60% of the time next

year.”

Brad Gossen, a former Washington State quarterback who worked with the

Lightning last year, is tutoring returning quarterback Zach Friedrichs,

who will be a senior.

Monarch, in fact, said the spring emphasis is completely on offense.

“Since defense involves so much more reactive learning and offense is

so proactive, (offense) takes much longer to learn,” Monarch said. “Our

plan is to get the offense ahead and let the defense catch up in July.”

The Lightning started May 13 and plan to go through Friday. Their

practice schedule, however, is typically 75 minutes a day.

“We don’t want to burn them out,” Monarch said. “But every minute

they’re on the field is solid football work. They’re looking, acting and

even smelling like football players.”