Lightning appreciate at-large opportunity

Rick Devereux

Sage Hill School boosters should be sending thank you notes to

Academy League football opponents St. Margaret’s, Brethren Christian

and Capistrano Valley Christian.

It is likely the Lightning would not have received their first CIF

Southern Section Division XIII at-large playoff berth without the

strong play of those Academy foes.

Sage Hill (7-3) was one of three at-large teams to earn a playoff

spot. Malibu (9-1) and Great Oak (6-3), both freelance schools,

received the other two.

Sage will travel to Temecula to play No. 3-seeded Linfield

Christian (8-1-1) Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the first round.

Villanova Prep (5-3) beat the Lightning, 21-7, on Sept. 17 but was

denied an at-large bid. Villanova Prep, a freelance school, also beat

Capo Valley Christian, 24-0, while Sage defeated the Eagles, 24-12,

Friday.

“[The at-large selections] was very difficult and it took a long

time to make,” said Rob Wigod, Southern Section assistant

commissioner in charge of football. “In the end, we thought 7-3 was

better than 5-3.”

One factor in Sage’s favor was the Academy League.

“We don’t believe Villanova Prep would have been 5-3 if it had to

play in the Academy League,” Wigod said. “The Academy League is a

really strong league.”

League champion St. Margaret’s (7-1-1) is the No. 4 seed in the

division and Brethren Christian, the Academy League runner-up, is

also in the playoffs.

“I do feel fortunate [that our team was the at-large selection],”

Coach Tom Monarch said. “We don’t care who we play in the playoffs.

Everything else is just icing on the cake.”

No one can blame Monarch for having a sweet taste in his mouth

after learning Sage Hill would be making its first playoff appearance

in the program’s three-year varsity history.

The Lightning did not play a particularly strong nonleague

schedule. Their seven opponents had a combined record of 15-52.

Villanova Prep is the only school with a winning record on Sage

Hill’s nonleague schedule.

The eight teams Villanova Prep faced have gone a combined 33-46-1,

and only three finished with a winning record. Along with Sage Hill,

Villanova Prep has played Chadwick (6-3-1) and Malibu, both playoff

entries.

“I think [Villanova Prep] has a very good program,” Monarch said.

“I would not have been upset if they had been chosen over us. I don’t

think they should be upset because we were chosen over them, though,

because it comes down to the fact that we won seven games and they

won five.”

Along with the first playoff game in the program’s history, Sage

has managed to rewrite the record book all season.

The defense has allowed the fewest points in the program’s history

(158). And the offense has scored more points (262) than the previous

two seasons combined (217).

Don Ayres and Keya Manshadi demolished all school rushing records.

Manshadi, who entered the season with 109 career rushing yards on

27 carries, set a school record with 14 rushing touchdowns. He is

second on the team with 883 rushing yards on 110 attempts.

Ayres leads the team with 998 rushing yards on 178 carries, both

school records. He is second on the team with 12 rushing touchdowns.