Sage Hill faces strong challenge

Barry Faulkner

The Sage Hill High football team, playing its first varsity

season, hit its first bump in the road last week. And that road

doesn’t appear to get any easier this week, when the Lightning hosts

Saddleback Valley Christian today in a nonleague contest at 3:30 p.m.

Sage Hill (2-1), ranked No. 9 in CIF Southern Section Division

XIII, fell last week to Calvary Chapel of Murrieta, 51-8, for its

first loss.

Saddleback Valley Christian (2-1), No. 6 in CIF Division XIII, is

also coming off its first loss of the season, having dropped a 15-6

verdict to Linfield Christian.

“I foresee this one being a very tough game,” Sage Hill Coach Tom

Monarch said. “Saddleback Valley Christian is a very solid football

team. (The Warriors) have a group of about six or seven seniors and

juniors for whom this is kind of their year to shine. They are a

couple years ahead of us and I think it will be very difficult for us

to run the ball. We’re going to have to work hard to score.”

The Warriors’ defense has allowed just 29 points in three games,

including a shutout of Sherman Indian in Week 2.

Offensively, Coach Mike Henjum’s squad has been led by 5-foot-9,

160-pound junior running back Brian Harbin, who has amassed 521

rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 46 carries this fall.

“He’s one of the leading rushers in Orange County and he is fast,”

Monarch said. “That could give us problems, because we don’t have a

lot of team speed.”

Monarch said Calvary Chapel Murrieta exploited a physical

advantage up front. He also said inexperience, not a huge issue in

the Lightning’s first two victories, caught up with them last week.

“We start seven freshmen, which makes it tough,” Monarch said. “I

don’t think there’s another team in the county that has seven

freshmen starting. I’m proud of them, but this is a growing

experience for them.”

Others who have made Monarch proud are senior standouts Cliff

Swanson, Zach Friederichs, Scott Cho and Erik Williams, as well as

juniors Eddie Huang and Ray Lim.

Swanson, a 6-2, 230-pound fullback, leads the ground attack with

255 rushing yards and three TDs on 51 attempts.

Friedrichs has completed 19 of 41 passes for 441 yards and five TDs. He hopes to rebound after throwing his first four varsity

interceptions last week. Friedrichs is slowed by a deep thigh bruise,

Monarch said, though he is expected to play through the injury.

Cho, a tight end still battling a pulled groin, is the leading

receiver with nine receptions for 220 yards and two TDs.

Williams has caught five passes for 113 yards and two TDs, rushed

11 times for 46 yards and another TD and returned an interception 86

yards last week for the Lightning’s only score.

Monarch singled out Huang, a cornerback, and Kim, a linebacker,

for their defensive effort last week.

Saddleback Valley quarterback Coleman Fait, a 5-9 sophomore, has

completed 12 of 45 for 137 yards, with one TD and three

interceptions.

Hutton Fitch (seven catches for 89 yards) is the Warriors’ leading

receiver.

Sage Hill is undefeated in two home games this season.