Numbers swell

Rick Devereux

Winning generates interest.

That has helped the Sage Hill School football team during

off-season workouts.

Last year, the Lightning had 17 athletes participate in spring

practice.

After Tom Monarch’s squad finished 7-4 and advanced to the CIF

Southern Section Division XIII playoffs for the first time in school

history, there were double that many students in spring practice.

“We had about 33 out,” Monarch said. “Our goal is 45 players. We

want to be able to schedule some junior varsity games for the

freshmen.”

An issue still being worked out is whether the home games will be

at night or during the day.

“We want to have lights [for home games] the whole year,” Monarch

said.

In its first and only home night game, Sage Hill defeated Silver

Valley, 62-19, setting a record for most points scored in a game for

the Lightning offense.

The team only lost kicker Amy Werblin, tight end and linebacker

Stephen Hancock, and linemen Bryan Forrest and Jimmy O’Hare to

graduation.

Keya Manshadi, Nick Sohl, Bryan Kornswiet, Morgan Brief, Don Ayres

and Braden Ross return to the team after their All-Academy League

performances from a year ago.

With the success the team had last year, Monarch knows there are

still aspects of the game the Lightning need to work on.

“Our focus has been strength and weightlifting,” Monarch said.

“The kids have been showing gains. We knew we needed to get bigger

and stronger, and the kids have done that. When we get to summer

practice, we will lift weights every morning before we go out on the

field in the afternoon.”

The winning ways from a year ago created a buzz around campus,

which is helping Monarch add depth and fill holes on the roster.

“Winning breeds that winning fever,” he said. “Everyone wants to

be associated with winning and people want to be on a winning team.”

Werblin, who was a second-team all-league selection in football

and soccer, has opened up a recruiting pipeline for Monarch’s special

teams.

“What Amy did was break the ice for soccer players to come out for

football,” he said. “I have gotten word that a handful of soccer

players want to come out for the football team and some of them have

pretty good legs.”

Sage Hill will start summer practice July 5 and continue through

all of August.

Sage Hill will begin the season at home against Midway Baptist

Sept. 10 at 3:30 p.m.

2005 Schedule

*Sept. 10 -- Midway Baptist (home), 3:30 p.m.

*Sept. 17 -- Villanova Prep (home), 3:30 p.m.

*Sept. 24 -- Twin Pines (home), 3 p.m.

Oct. 2 -- Fairmont at Valley Christian Stadium

Oct. 15 -- Silver Valley (home), 3 p.m.

Oct. 22 -- at Sherman Indian, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 29 -- Brethren Christian at Clark Field

Nov. 5 -- St. Margaret’s (home), 2 p.m.

Nov. 12 -- Capo Valley Christian at San Clemente High

*Games start at 7 p.m. unless noted