Building a winner

Bryce Alderton

On Nov. 23 Sage Hill High hosted a soccer clinic for all six

Academy League teams to kickoff the boys soccer season.

About 120 athletes attended, getting instruction from professional

German players along with watching video presentations.

Third-year Lightning Coach Noureddine El Alam said the clinic

provided a chance “to build a good sense of sportsmanship” along with

continuing a tradition.

Sage Hill (4-1-1 as of Wednesday) comes off an 8-6-1 season in

which they finished second in the Academy League to St. Margaret’s,

but qualified for the CIF Southern Section Division V Playoffs in

only the Lightning’s second varsity campaign.

“They beat us so bad there (last year) and then we played them

again and lost, 2-0, in a game we could have tied or won,” El Alam

said.

With 15 of 17 players returning and only two seniors, El Alam said

he has a stronger team this year to battle against the likes of St.

Margaret’s.

“I think it’s reasonable to think we’ll make the playoffs and get

past the first game,” El Alam said. “We have two freshman starters

and a few who were at the school last year who didn’t play soccer on

the team as well.”

Zach Friedrichs (forward), who was the starting quarterback on the

football team, and forward Paul Montakab are the only seniors on a

team with 10 juniors.

Junior Cesar Arriaga, who will pay forward and midfield this

season as a switch from his goalie duties a year ago, was Co-Most

Valuable Player of the Academy League a year ago. Freshman Johnny

Legan will provide aggressive play at sweeper, El Alam said, with

junior Paolo Leon either playing sweeper or stopper. Leon enters his

third year with the program.

Joining Arriaga at midfield will be second-team Academy League

selection last year, Chris Chiboucas, who runs cross country in the

fall. Chiboucas is joined with fellow juniors Sam Fankuchen, Julian

Smith-Newman, the team’s co-captain along with Arriaga and a

first-team league pick a year ago and sophomore Anthony Kinaly.

Also at forward will be sophomore Ian Dull and freshman Zach

Milder.

The defense will be anchored by juniors Kent Kuran, a second-team

all-league selection last year and one of Sage Hill’s fastest players

with good ball skills, El Alam said, with Jordan Salinger, Braden

Barnett and Marcel Sohl.

El Alam likes Salinger’s tenacity.

“He can get nasty sometimes,” El Alam said. “He’s very aggressive

and has an eye for the ball.”

Barnett has improved the most from last year, El Alam said.

Sophomore Trevor Granger and junior Ethan Tanney will both see

action at goalkeeper. Granger is a water polo player who got playing

time last season.

Even though Sage Hill suffered its first loss to Corona del Mar

Wednesday, El Alam said he likes where this team is headed.

“It’s a good, healthy team with a lot of growth,” El Alam said.

“They love coming down to play.”