Unusually suspect

Barry Faulkner

As a detective with the Newport Beach Police Department, Tom

Monarch is accustomed to the pursuit of suspects. This should serve

him well as he prepares to coach Sage Hill High through its first

varsity football season, which begins Friday at 4 p.m. at home

against Midway Baptist of San Diego.

There is, you see, much that is suspect about the Lightning, which

will try to blend the experience returning players have gained in two

seasons of lower-level competition with more than a dozen newcomers,

most of whom are freshman who had never strapped on a helmet --at any

level -- before the first day of pads, Aug. 29.

With roughly 10 practices to date (the team did not practice twice

a day before school started, a rarity among Orange County prep

programs) and without the benefit of a scrimmage (a planned

get-together fell through due to a lack of communication), formation

of a lineup, let alone a depth chart has been problematic.

“The preseason is definitely going to be an eye-opener,” Monarch

said. “As coaches, we’ve got our work cut out for us to prepare our

young kids to play varsity competition. Our theory is to slowly

incorporate the kids with little experience with the other kids.”

That blending process will take at least the first few games,

according to Monarch, who said fundamental instruction for some

newcomers began with the three-point stance.

“For the first month and a half, we won’t scrimmage as much as

other teams,” Monarch said. “I anticipate we will probably begin to

click about Week 3. The first couple games, we’re going to be

experimenting with a lot of kids.”

The Lightning, winless in eight freshman games in 2000, clicked

quite a bit last season as a junior varsity unit, finishing 6-2,

including a 5-0 mark against Academy League competition.

“And the two games we did lose were to teams that used varsity

players,” Monarch said.

This year’s four-team Academy League includes Capistrano Valley

Christian and Brethren Christian, ranked No. 2 and No. 5,

respectively, in the CIF Southern Section Division XIII preseason

poll. So, a top-two finish required for an automatic playoff berth is

not expected from the Lightning. Monarch, however, said patience is

needed as his program makes the transition to the varsity level.

“It’s going to be an adventure for all of us, which makes it fun,”

Monarch said. “One of the reasons I really wanted to coach at this

school was because there really were no expectations. But, through

hard work, good things will happen. It’s a very unique situation this

year and I really couldn’t tell you what to expect or how we’re going

to do. But I think I have a bunch of kids who will work hard and have

a good time. I think this group has a lot of heart.”

The heart of the squad is a quartet of veterans who have been with

the program since its inception.

Senior quarterback-safety Zach Friedrichs (6-foot-2, 185 pounds),

senior fullback-linebacker Cliff Swanson (6-2, 230), senior tight

end-defensive end-linebacker Scott Cho (6-4, 205) and junior

receiver-cornerback Eddie Huang (5-9, 145) are expected to carry a

heavy load on both sides of the ball. They are also the team’s

captains.

Friedrichs, who spent his first year in the program at receiver,

came a long way at quarterback last fall, according to his coach.

“He is a pure athlete who has really developed his arm,” said

Monarch, who also noted the presence of assistant Brad Gossen, a

former Washington State quarterback, will greatly enhance Friedrichs’

development as a decision maker.

Gossen shares offensive coordinator duties with Monarch, as they

oversee the single-back offense, which will utilize four-receiver

sets and some shotgun.

Swanson is a powerful runner with some quickness, who can also

catch the ball, while Cho and Huang, the leading deep threat, lead a

receiving corps Monarch expects to be one of the team’s leading

attributes.

“I think passing will be our strength on offense,” Monarch said.

Swanson, Cho, Friedrichs and Huang should also key the defense,

which will operate out of a multiple five-three scheme under the

direction of coordinator Mike Marchetti .

The offensive and defensive lines are the leading question marks,

though Monarch singled out junior Paul Youssef (6-3, 195) and

sophomore Jim O’Hare (6-1, 185) as the early leaders in the trenches.

Marcel Sohl, a junior returner, and sophomore newcomer Brian

Forest were other linemen showing preseason promise, Monarch said.

Senior Erik Williams, a receiver and outside linebacker, is also

expected to be an impact player.

“My goal for our first few games is to get all of our positions

locked up, to become crisp on offense and aggressive on defense,”

Monarch said.

Midway Baptist could be as much of an unknown quantity as Sage

Hill, according to veteran Patriots Coach Jerry Webb.

“I have only two seniors,” said Webb, who has recruited 32 of the

school’s 39 male students (the school’s enrollment is 75, making it

the smallest in San Diego County, Webb said) to his team.

The Patriots played eight-man football last season (an imposed

change brought on by placement in an eight-man league), but return to

the 11-man ranks this season as a free-lance program.

“We had played seven years of 11-man before last year,” said Webb,

who lost most of last year’s Citrus League runners-up to graduation.

“Since neither team knows what the other is going to do, this game

will be about adjustments,” said Monarch, who, like his players, is

eagerly anticipating Friday’s varsity debut.

“The kids are extremely excited, especially the seniors,” Monarch

said. “I told them the tradition begins Friday. Now is the time for

them to have some fun.”