Sage brings strength up front

More often than not, the skill position players on a football team

garner the glory, racking up yards and touchdowns, along with

newspaper clippings.

Often overlooked is the driving force that makes it all possible.

Sage Hill School football coach Tom Monarch said the biggest

improvement to his squad this year rests with the big boys in the

trenches.

“I think we’re a better football team,” Monarch said. “I think the

main thing is the offensive line. We have seniors all the way across

for the first time. Anybody that knows football, whether it’s high

school, college or the pros, knows an experienced offensive line wins

championships.

“The kids have lifted hard, gotten stronger, quicker, bigger, and

in conjunction with their experience, will be the strongest point.”

Returning to an offensive line that helped the Lightning go 7-4

last season and reach the CIF Southern Section Division XIII

postseason for the first time in school history are seniors Kyle

Ramer, Brandon David, Bryan Kornswiet, Nick Sohl, Morgan Brief and

Michael Morgan.

All around, the Lightning have nine offensive starters returning

and eight on defense, while six first-team All-Academy League

selections return -- seniors Keya Manshadi, Kornswiet, Brief and

Sohl, along with juniors Don Ayres and Braden Ross.

The plethora of experience and leadership is a factor Monarch has

been craving.

“We haven’t had that prior to this season,” said Monarch, the

reigning Academy League Coach of the Year. “The seniors help run

practice, help mentor younger players and they know the offense,

defense, stretching drills and what jokes I’m going to tell. Coming

into this year, we won’t have to work so much with the fundamentals

and we can elevate our level of play and expand ourselves on both

sides.”

Here’s a position-by-position breakdown:

Quarterback: Sophomore Jamie McGee returns after a debut season in

which he completed 71 of 148 passes for 858 yards with five

touchdowns and seven interceptions, good for second-team all-league

status. He threw for a season-high 143 yards against Linfield

Christian in the first round of the playoffs.

Last season, McGee replaced Ross, who moved to the receiver

position.

“[McGee’s] had a great summer,” Monarch said. “He’s more mature

now in reference to his receiver selection. His arm strength is

better, his composure is better and his overall decision making is

better.”

Monarch added that by the time McGee (6-foot-2, 175 pounds) is a senior, he should be one of the best quarterbacks in Orange County.

Backing up McGee this season will be Ross.

Running back: Monarch said Manshadi and Ayres will see even more

carries this year due to a beefed up offensive line.

Manshadi (6-0, 175) led the team with 1,278 yards rushing and

receiving and 15 touchdowns, averaging 8.8 yards on 145 touches last season. He led all Newport-Mesa athletes with 20 total touchdowns.

Manshadi, more of an open-field runner, will also be rotating out

to receiver on certain offensive formations, Monarch said.

“Manshadi can be the premier player in the entire league,” Monarch

said. “Don Ayres has increased his strength and speed -- he has

worked on his speed all summer and improved on all sides of the

ball.”

Ayres, a power runner, gained a team-high 1,017 rushing yards and

12 touchdowns on 185 carries in 2004.

The two will split the load in the backfield, while Sohl will see

time as a back-up fullback, Monarch said.

Sophomore Max Torres will also battle for time.

Monarch said the offense will be pretty evenly split between

running and passing.

Receivers: Newcomer Zach Milder, a senior, is expected to start

alongside Ross and Manshadi (when the tailback is rotated to the

receiver position).

Milder attended Sage Hill last year but did not play football, a

specific example of how the team’s success sparked more interest in

the program, Monarch said.

Ross hauled in 26 catches to lead the team, for 319 receiving

yards and two touchdowns in 2004, his first year at the position

after playing quarterback the prior year.

Senior Tyler Ross, along with sophomores Jordan Spencer, Zach

Rabosky, Nazir Katbi and Michael Higgins should provide depth.

Tight end: Senior Krishna Sani is projected to start and, at 6-2,

210 pounds, is expected to be a solid blocker and receiver, Monarch

said.

“We’ll try to hit him over the middle on short patterns. He’s a

very good blocker -- a big kid, strong and experienced,” Monarch.

Offensive line: Monarch said be believes this is the most improved

aspect of the team, with the potential to be dominant.

With all seniors, it is also looking to be the most experienced

aspect.

First-team all-league selections Kornswiet (center), Brief (guard)

and Sohl (guard) return, along with proven commodities David (guard),

Morgan (tackle) and Ramer (tackle).

Morgan (6-4, 230) and David (5-10, 230) will be creating a lot of

holes, Monarch said.

Defensive line: The strength of the offensive line should

translate to the defense side, Monarch said.

Starting on the ends are Morgan and Brief, while time will be

shared at the tackle spots between David, Ramer and sophomore Joe

Puishys (6-1, 190).

Linebackers: Monarch will continue with his four-four defense this

season, meaning four defensive linemen, four linebackers and three

defensive backs will be in place.

This type of defense focuses slightly more on stopping the run,

which tends to occur a little more in high school football. But the

four-four will only be successful with exceptional linebackers,

Monarch said.

Ayres, who led the squad with 62 tackles in 2004 -- good for Daily

Pilot Dream Team honors -- will return as a “monster linebacker” on

the outside, Monarch said. Kornswiet will fill the other end, while

Sohl, Torres and Sani will be rotating in the two inside spots.

“The reason we are running this is because we have four good

linebackers,” Monarch said.

Katbi should provide depth.

Secondary: Newcomer Milder is slated to start at safety, while

Ross and Manshadi are frontrunners at cornerback.

Manshadi, another Dream Team selection on defense, led the

Lightning last year with four interceptions which he returned for 161

yards and two touchdowns.

While Milder, who was a first-team all-league soccer selection in

the winter, has no prior football stats, Monarch said he is an

all-around exceptional athlete who is expected to make large

contributions to the team this season.

“Our success last year brought out some current students at the

school who didn’t play the year prior,” Monarch said. “Everybody

likes to be a part of a winner, whether it’s on the field, in the

classroom or in the business world.”

Sophomores Rennick Palley, Spencer Jordan, Andrew Irvine, Robosky,

Higgins and McGee, along with senior Tyler Ross and freshman Andrew

McKenzie, will add depth.

Kicking game: Milder and Braden Ross will share the place-kicking

duties, filling the gap left by Amy Werblin, a second-team all-league

selection last year as a senior.

Werblin converted 30 of 34 extra points and two of four field

goals in 2004. She booted a 36-yard kick against Viewpoint, her

longest of the season.

“They have some big shoes to fill, but I’m pretty confident Braden

and Zach can be pretty accurate from 40 to 50 yards out,” Monarch

said. “They both are looking really good in the 40-yard range.”

A star soccer player last season, Ross will be the punter.