Wright is MVP in Academy

The Sage Hill School girls’ basketball team had a nice run to the Academy League title and the CIF Southern Section Division IV-A semifinals and the Lightning were awarded handsomely.

Senior center Haywood Wright was named Most Valuable Player of the Academy League and Jim Perez, in his first season, was named Coach of the Year.

Senior Laura Schaefer joined Wright as a first-team all-league honoree.

The 6-foot-2 Wright, bound for Yale, was a dominant force in the post, consistently drawing double-teams.

Schaefer often made opponents pay for that strategy with an accurate three-point-shooting touch.

Sophomore Katie McKeon, junior Kaitlin Tyre and senior Rebecca Hembarsky were second-team picks for Sage Hill.

The Lightning were seeded No. 3 in Division IV-A and advanced to the semifinals by getting a first-round bye, beating Linfield Christian, 50-40, in the second round and JSerra, 32-28, in the quarterfinals.

Brentwood halted the run with 51-26 win in the semifinals, finalizing Sage Hill’s record at 23-4.

The Lightning boys’ team was ravaged by injuries and illness, but remained competitive in large part due to the consistent play of sophomore Jamie McGee, who was named first-team all-league.

Senior Tim Lefler was a second-team pick and senior Shane Webster received honorable mention.

McGee was a Daily Pilot Male High School Athlete of the Week selection after a four-game stretch in the St. Anthony Tournament when he averaged 19 points and was also very active on the defensive end, tallying several rebounds and steals. McGee averaged 15.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season.

Morgan averaged 5.2 rebounds a game for the Lightning, and Lefler missed time with an injury but still averaged 6.6 points a game for Sage Hill.

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