Lightning ready for some challenges

sage football pre vs. brethrenSage Hill will face its first true test with meeting against visiting Brethren Christian at 7 p.m. Friday.The Sage Hill School football team has been on cruise control all season, defeating opponents by an average of 32.6 points.

But the easy switch could be flipped off when Academy League rival Brethren Christian (5-2) visits at 7 p.m. Friday in both teams’ first league contest.

“The attitude of our kids is that they’ve been waiting a long time for this game, some for a year now,” said Lightning Coach Tom Monarch, whose squad improved to 6-0 with a 55-14 romp over Silver Valley of Yermo on Oct. 14.

“Their anticipation has almost been like a kid waiting for Christmas.”

To date, the Lightning have been sparked by the trifecta of senior tailback Keya Manshadi, junior fullback Don Ayres and sophomore quarterback Jamie McGee.

The triplets have combined for 45 touchdowns on the season, while ousting opponents left and right.

Manshadi racked up a career-high and single-game school record seven touchdowns against Silver Valley, bringing his season total to a team-leading 18. Ayres, who did not play on offense against the Trojans due to a bruised knee, has 11 scores on the season, while McGee has thrown for 14 touchdowns and run for two more.

The opponents Sage Hill has faced, however, are considerably inferior -- at least on paper -- to Brethren.

“This is the biggest game of the season so far for us,” Monarch said. “Next to playing in the playoffs last season, this is the biggest game the kids will have played in [at Sage Hill].

“We’re coming into this one with the mind set we’re going to win. It’s taken these guys four years to learn that. The days of hoping to hang in there against teams like Brethren are done.”

The Lightning, ranked No. 8 in CIF Southern Section Division XIII, are almost guaranteed a playoff spot with a victory over Brethren. St. Margaret’s, ranked No. 1 in CIF Division XIII, still looms on the Lightning’s schedule, but Sage Hill’s last game against Capistrano Valley Christian should not pose any problems.

And a second-place finish in league means a spot in the postseason for just the second time in the school’s young history.

Brethren Christian is led by the passing attack of quarterback Tommy Kilbane, who has thrown for 1,324 yards and 12 touchdowns. Martin Simms and Kevin Hinkley have been on the other end of the majority of those passes, totaling 487 and 462 receiving yards, respectively, with six touchdowns apiece.

Derrick Connor has rushed for 314 yards and four scores, while David Sutton has run for 205 yards and another four touchdowns.

The teams have one common opponent in Fairmont Prep. Sage defeated the Huskies, 41-8, and Brethren defeated them, 37-23.

Monarch said his team will be looking to stick to its most lethal weapon Friday -- the ground game.

“I think it would behoove us to establish a good run game for two reasons,” he said. “One, to keep their offense off the field. Two, looking at film, some teams have had success [running the ball] against Brethren.”

200510281O1KBTNHNo Caption20051028ip1zblknSTEVE McCRANK / DAILY PILOT(LA)Nick Sohl (22) makes a hit behind the line of scrimmage during Sage Hill’s game against Fairmont Prep.