Lightning surge ahead

Rick Devereux

The turnaround in the level of play for the Sage Hill School football

team is one of the best in the county, going from 1-8 in 2003 to 7-3

and a CIF Southern Section Division XIII playoff berth in 2004, the

first in the program’s three-year varsity existence.

But the euphoria of winning its first ever Academy League game, a

24-12 victory over Capistrano Valley Christian in the season finale,

wore off when it was realized Sage Hill would play Linfield

Christian, the Big Sky League runner up, in the opening round of the

playoffs.

“We would have to play a flawless game in order to beat them,”

Coach Tom Monarch said. “We could not have a penalty. We could not

turn the ball over. It would have to be flawless.”

Linfield Christian (8-1-1) was ranked in the top five of the

division the last seven weeks, including three weeks at No. 1. A 36-6

loss in the season finale to Hamilton, the Big Sky League champion

and the No. 1 seed, dropped the Lions to the No. 3 seed.

Linfield Christian is a run-oriented offense that has gained close

to 2,000 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground this fall.

Five players have more than 40 rushing attempts for the Lions and

four have more than 200 rushing yards, but the main threats are Chuck

Wilson and Mike Rainey.

Wilson, a senior wingback and linebacker, leads the team with more

than 800 rushing and 350 receiving yards. The 6-foot, 190-pound

Wilson scored a team-high 13 rushing and three receiving touchdowns.

Rainey, a junior fullback and linebacker, has rushed for more than

50 yards in four games this year, including a 100-yard performance

against Webb in Week 4. He is second on the team with more than 400

rushing yards.

“They are bigger and stronger than us up front,” Monarch said.

“The biggest hurdle for us is to contain their running game.”

Monarch said Sage Hill would have to play at an even higher

caliber than during the Capo Valley Christian game.

“I asked them to play out of their shoes [against Capo Valley

Christian] and they did,” Monarch said. “I’ve seen us play at this

level and I would like to see us play even better this week.”

Monarch made no secret as to what will need to happen for a Sage

Hill victory.

“Our running game has to be effective,” he said. “We will be able

to balance our passing out of our running game. Our [offensive] line

has to allow us some time to throw the ball. If we can open some

holes and gain at least 100-140 rushing yards and 300 total yards, I

think we will have a shot at beating them.”