Sage seizes sixth victory

Rick Devereux

The Sage Hill School football team is starting to enjoy playing

homecoming games. The Lightning beat Sherman Indian, 14-0, Friday

night in a nonleague game to improve to 3-0 in homecoming games this

year. Sage won its homecoming last week and beat Fairmont on its

homecoming in Week 4.

Sage Hill (6-1) came out flat in the first half, indicative of a

long bus ride to Riverside, a poor week of practice and some

shuffling of the roster. Regular starting running back Keya Manshadi

did not play due to a strained calf muscle.

“We had injuries and sicknesses this week,” Sage Hill Coach Tom

Monarch said. “Because of that, we were unable to run a systematic

practice all week.”

Usual starting receiver Nick Sohl started in Manshadi’s place, but

he was bottled up by Sherman Indian (1-5) and held to 55 rushing

yards on 13 carries, all in the first half.

Monarch switched Sohl with fullback Don Ayres to start the second

half, and the move paid off. Ayres gained 118 of his game-high 145

rushing yards after intermission.

“Ayres has a little bit more vision shooting through the holes,”

Monarch said. “Ayres rose to the occasion.”

Ayres gave the Lightning the lead on his 7-yard run up the middle

on Sage Hill’s first possession of the third quarter. The score was

set up by quarterback Jamie McGee’s 27-yard bomb to Braden Ross to

the Sherman Indian 16.

Three plays later, Ayres was in the end zone.

Ayres sealed the victory on a 1-yard run with 2:11 left in the

game to make it 14-0.

Sage Hill dominated the time of possession, 34:47 to 13:13. The

Lightning held on to the ball for 12:17 on their two scoring drives

alone.

“I told them at halftime that our offensive line and defense would

win this game, and they did,” Monarch said.

The victory might not have been pretty, but getting a sixth win

could help Sage Hill’s chances of making the playoffs for the first

time in school history.

“This was a real big win for us,” Ayres said. “We were 1-8 last

year and are in a position to earn a wild-card spot.”

The Sage Hill defense held the Braves to two first downs and 57

yards on offense. Sherman Indian’s deepest drive was to the Lightning

49. Sage’s offense racked up 293 yards an collected 18 first downs.

The players felt insulted that Sherman Indian scheduled Sage for its

homecoming game.

“It is like a slap in our face,” Ayres said. “But everyone stepped

up to play today.”