Lightning squad finds itself in survival mode

Barry Faulkner

The Sage Hill High football team shifts into survival mode for

today’s 3:30 p.m. nonleague contest with visiting Mary Star of the

Sea.

The Lightning (3-3), which fell out of the CIF Southern Section

Division XIII poll for the first time in a month after last week’s

35-0 Academy League loss to Capistrano Valley Christian, has several

players nursing injuries as it prepares to face the highly regarded

Stars (4-2), ranked No. 7 in CIF Division XI.

So, the goal is to help the wounded heal and hope no further

damage is done before Sage Hill returns to Academy League action Nov.

2 against St. Margaret’s.

“It’s a David and Goliath game,” Sage Hill Coach Tom Monarch said.

“This is, maybe, the best team we’re going to play, just a large, big

team. I just want to stay healthy and get some good hits. We won’t

push anybody this game. The advantage to this game is, it could help

us toughen up our defense to prepare us for St. Margaret’s”

In addition to several injuries, a flu bug ran through the roster

last week.

But despite the lopsided score against Capo Valley Christian,

Monarch termed the loss one of his team’s better games of the season.

“We hit well and we hung in there pretty well,” Monarch said of

the third loss in four weeks, which, barring an upset, will leave the

Lightning without a guaranteed postseason berth.

The Lightning offense has relied heavily on senior quarterback

Zach Friedrichs, who threw for a season-high 231 yards last week,

completing 13 of 37 against constant pressure. Friedrichs, sacked

eight times last week, is battling a deep thigh bruise that limits

his mobility, Monarch said. Normally the starting safety, he won’t

play defense for a second straight game and Monarch plans to

frequently utilize the shotgun formation to increase the time

Friedrichs can read his receivers.

The Sage Hill ground game has struggled since keying a 2-0 start.

Senior fullback Cliff Swanson remains the leading rusher with 265

yards and five touchdowns on 81 carries.

Senior Erik Williams has rushed for 216 yards on 37 carries and

his 17 receptions for 277 yards and three TDs lead the team.

Senior Scott Cho has 12 receptions for 245 yards and two TDs and

freshman Keya Manshadi has nine catches for 212 yards and two TDs for

the Lightning.

One of Mary Star’s losses was to El Segundo, ranked No. 2 in

Division X. El Segundo (6-0), which defeated Laguna Beach, 41-14, on

Oct. 4., scored 42 of the 77 points the Stars have allowed this fall.

Sage Hill’s defense is allowing 33 points per game.