Success is in the forecast

Patrick Laverty

By the end of the season, there will be no questions about the

conditioning of the football players at Sage Hill School. With 25

players on the roster and almost every one of them playing both ways,

everyone will have to be in shape.

While that is an obvious necessity prior to the season as well,

Lightning Coach Tom Monarch has been forced to focus more on

fundamentals than conditioning, instead letting the stamina develop

as the season progresses.

“They get in shape in a hurry,” Monarch said. “We have a lot of

players bending over resting. But by the third game of the season,

they should be in shape. We do so much teaching, we really don’t have

time to train them to that level.”

The teaching is required because of the youth and inexperience on

a roster that includes 15 freshmen and sophomores, most of whom have

never played football prior to coming to high school. Now, they need

to learn every intricacy of the sport, on both sides of the ball.

Monarch emphasizes fundamentals. With Sage Hill fielding a varsity

team for just the second year, he knows winning will take time. But

good fundamentals can speed up the process.

“My focus is on fundamentals; victories or losses are irrelevant,”

Monarch said. “But if we play fundamental football, we’ll win some

games.”

Here’s a position-by-position look at how the Lightning hope to

accomplish that:

Quarterback: Eddie Huang, a receiver last year who earned

All-Academy League honors, takes over for the graduated Zach

Friedrichs. It’s a case of putting the ball in the hands of a

playmaker and Huang will primarily make plays with his legs.

Eddie’s such a good runner, part of what makes him a threat is his

ability to run,” Monarch said. “At quarterback, we plan on running

him six to seven times a game on traps, keepers and draws.”

Sage Hill plans to build the program around the running game and

while Huang will be forced to keep defenses honest, it’s his running

ability that will likely concern opponents most.

Freshman Braden Ross, who will be a starter at receiver, is slated

to be Huang’s backup.

Running back: While the team is young almost everywhere else, it

has two solid upperclassmen in the backfield. Ray Lim, a senior like

Huang, is expected to be the starting fullback and should combine

with Huang to form a solid leadership duo.

A strong and fast back, Lim will be counted on to carry the ball

10-plus times a game, both out of the single-back and I formations.

When Sage Hill goes to a two-back set, the first of what is

expected to be three freshmen who will contribute this year will see

the ball come his way.

Don Ayres may be in the ninth grade, but he will play tailback for

the Lightning and will be just as prominently featured on defense.

“It’s deer in the headlights, but when they’re sophomores, what a

difference from a typical freshman, particularly in regard to game

sense,” Monarch said.

Receivers: Along with Ross, Monarch expects junior Alex Samel,

freshman Bryan Williams and sophomore Nick Sohl to receive playing

time at wideout. But their role won’t be limited to pass routes and

catching the ball.

Looking to build on the running game, the receivers will need to

be competent blockers to receive significant playing time. Like the

remainder of the team, there is a lot of young talent at the receiver

position, but each player most learn all the fundamentals to provide

the Lightning with the right resources.

Ross and Williams combine with Ayres to form Sage Hill’s talented

freshman class.

Tight end: Marcel Sohl, Nick’s older brother, will provide another

dose of senior leadership and it will be needed when Marcel lines up

next to an offensive front that starts three sophomores.

Offensive line: The brightest hope for the future may be the

Lightning’s offensive line, particularly the three sophomores, all of

whom played varsity as freshmen last season.

With good size and now some experience up front, Monarch hopes the

line can open the holes necessary for a solid running game.

“I think the advantage that we have is our whole line’s coming

back,” Monarch said. “We have decent size and we’re going to look to

establish a running game. That’s our No. 1 goal.”

The three sophomores returning are center Bryan Kornswiet, guard

Morgan Brief and tackle Michael Morgan. The other two starters on the

line are senior guard Peter Haderlein and junior tackle Brian

Forrest. A fourth sophomore, Kyle Ramer, will see time at both guard

and tackle.

Defensive line: Brief, Morgan, Forrest and Ramer will also see

time on the line on the defensive side of the ball. Like the rest of

the Lightning’s roster, they will be two-way players.

Sage Hill averages about 220 pounds on its offensive and defensive

fronts, not much of a size difference from schools the size of

Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar. Of course, the bigger difference

between the schools is depth and Sage Hill has little of that.

Particularly with lineman, the Lightning need to get in game shape

quickly and they need to avoid injuries.

Linebackers: Nowhere is the youth and inexperience more apparent

than at middle linebacker, where Ayres will be a freshman starter.

While it says a lot about his abilities, it also says a lot about

Sage Hill, which is attaching tailback and middle linebacker

responsibilities to a freshman.

Ayres will have a solid core around him for support. Seniors Lim

and Haderlein will man the outside ‘backer spots, while Kornswiet

will join Ayers on the inside.

It’s a formidable cast and if Ayers can perform like the Lightning

coaching staff thinks he can, the linebacking corps may just turn

into the strength of the team.

Secondary: The pattern has already emerged for the Lightning. If

you play on the offensive line, you’ll likely be on the defensive

line as well. A big fullback like Lim or an athletic tailback like

Ayres, then you must be a linebacker as well. Other members of the

offensive backfield end up in the secondary as the wealth of two-way

players continues for Sage Hill.

Huang is expected to anchor the secondary at safety, as he will

the offense at quarterback. Receivers Ross, Nick Sohl and Samel will

share the cornerback positions.

Ross gives the Lightning two freshman logging heavy minutes on

both sides of the ball and Nick Sohl makes it five sophomores doing

the same. It may not add up to a league championship in 2003, but

Monarch believes it is a recipe for success in years to come.

Kicking game: Ross, only increasing the role of freshmen on the

team, will handle kickoff and punting duties for the Lightning. But

field goals and conversions will be handled by Amy Werblin, a junior

who is a standout on the girls soccer team.

“She boots the ball really well,” Monarch said. “She’s got a

strong leg. I think she can go up to about 45 yards and she’s pretty

consistent inside of 40.”

Proving that Sage Hill is unlike any other school, she may just

end up kicking the winning field goal in a game this season, right

after a freshman makes the game-saving tackle and another

ninth-grader breaks off a long touchdown run. Such is life at a small

school.