Lightning won’t use class system

Over the summer, Tom Monarch knows the players on his Sage Hill School football team will do one of two things: either hit the weight room hard and focus on nutrition in order to prepare themselves for the season; or lounge around, participating in nonfootball related activities and eating junk food.

It’s easy for Monarch to spot who put in the work and who did not. There is little room to play catchup with one’s body with the start of the football season only days away.

So Monarch will start those who are prepared, regardless of their class.

He will look for on-field leadership from those who spent the beautiful summer days inside, with palms firmly gripped to steel and a source of protein nearby.

“Every year I’ve coached, I’ve preached that the best gauge is how much you work during your summer,” Monarch said. “If you do your speed drills and conditioning, you’re going to do well. Some go for the burgers and some go to the weight room.”

Senior Don Ayres is one of the players who did not see much of the summer sun. And when he did, his body was in motion. Ayres, who was named first-team All-Academy League last season for the second consecutive time, will be an integral part of the offense and defense. He can bench press 300 pounds and reduced his time in the 40-yard dash from 4.9 seconds to 4.6.

“Mentally, it tells you how much he’s in it,” Monarch said. “He’s one of those players who, as a coach, if you could make a mold physically and mentally he would be it.”

Entering the program’s sixth varsity season, the Lightning are molded to achieve success this fall.

Sage Hill won its first CIF Southern Section playoff game last season to advance to the Division XIII quarterfinals and finish 9-2.

On offense, Sage Hill will work behind a largely inexperienced offensive line in hopes of picking up where the team left off.

The Lightning players with experience will help lighten the load as the younger players gain game exposure.

“That’s our only question,” Monarch said. “Will the offensive and defensive lines’ lack of experience hurt us or will it propel us.”

Here is a position-by-position breakdown:

Quarterback: Junior Jamie McGee is a third-year starter and comes off a season in which he earned first-team All-Academy League recognition.

In 11 games last season, McGee completed 90 of 176 passes for 1,491 yards and 21 touchdowns, with 10 interceptions.

Monarch said McGee’s experience sets him apart from most juniors.

“Any kid who starts their freshman year on varsity in any sport is going to be pretty good as a junior,” Monarch said. “He has a very strong arm, a very accurate arm. He has all of the tools. It’s just a matter of applying the physical tools to the mental game. We want him to take more of a leadership role. I’d like to see him run a lot more, too.”

The 6-foot-2 veteran runs the 40 in 4.6 seconds.

Backing up McGee will be junior Mike Higgins.

Running backs: The focal point of the offense this year will be Ayres. He put in the off-season work and, as such, Monarch adjusted the offense to take advantage.

The Lightning will run a single-back spread offense to attempt to get Ayres into the open field and a more traditional I-formation for more of an inside-running attack.

Last year, for the second consecutive season, Ayres eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing and narrowly missed leading the team in rushing again.

In 10 games, Ayres carried 153 times for 1,018 yards, a 6.7-yard average. He scored 15 rushing touchdowns.

Junior Max Torres will be the fullback in the I-formation. Torres, will also see his share of carries. At 6-2 and 200 pounds, he is like having an offensive lineman in the backfield, Monarch said.

“He has become a little brick house,” Monarch said. “We look for good things from him, too.”

Junior Tom Multari figures to also get some playing time. He will give the Lightning a change of pace at tailback, Monarch said.

“He’s not so much a north-south runner,” Monarch said. “He’ll open up the outside game.”

Receivers: Three-time all-league performer Braden Ross, a senior, returns as the team’s top receiver.

Ross, who caught 31 passes for 409 yards and six touchdowns last season, will have his hands on the ball in every situation imaginable.

“We expect him to be our main go-to guy,” Monarch said.

Higgins will line up at receiver along with Ross.

“Toward the end of the summer, [Higgins] wasn’t dropping anything,” Monarch said. “He’s very aggressive. We’ll wait for teams to lay off him, then he’ll kill them.”

Multari should also see time at receiver.

Backing up the trio will be sophomore Troy Astorino and junior Jordan Spencer.

Tight end: Preston Oklejas, a 6-6 junior, could be Monarch’s secret weapon.

He transferred from Corona del Mar High after his freshman year. He played basketball for Sage Hill in the winter and brings athleticism to the team.

“He’s a big kid we can develop some specific plays for,” Monarch said, giving the example of fade corners and hot routes.

Monarch also plans for Oklejas to be split out wide on occasion.

Torres is the backup.

Offensive line: What was an area of strength last year has become an area of uncertainty, but not concern.

Last year, the Lightning started five seniors up front and all five were named all-league.

This year, the Lightning’s starting unit appears to be senior J.J. Schumacher (center), junior Zach Robosky (right guard), junior Joey Puishys (left guard), junior Cody Gates (right tackle) and senior Ryan Ramming (left tackle).

Monarch expects Gates, at 6-5, 260 pounds, to become a top tackle. Renning, a transfer from Corona del Mar, brings athleticism to the left tackle spot.

“We’re just looking for a good athlete at that position,” Monarch said. “We can make him into an offensive lineman.”

Backups include sophomore Craig Jackson (center), junior Andrew Irvine (right guard), senior Stuart Palley (left guard), junior Rennick Palley (left tackle) and sophomore Dan Keman (right tackle).

Defensive line: With small schools, the defensive line bares a stark resemblance to the offensive line.

So, the Lightning’s inexperience shows up here, as well.

But with a five-man front — instead of four last year — there is an extra body for opposing linemen to account for.

Expect a heavy rotation of players to keep the unit fresh.

Puishys and Oklejas are scheduled to start as stand-up ends.

Schumacher and Gates are projected to start at the tackle spots, with Jackson, Irvine and Stuart Palley expected to share time at noseguard.

Keman and Rennick Palley will serve as backups.

Linebackers: The leading tacklers should reside here, as the five-two scheme is designed for the front five to occupy blockers, leaving the linebackers free to pursue the ballcarrier.

Torres and Ayres are the projected starters and Monarch expects to see double-digit tackles from both in every game.

Ayres earned All-Newport-Mesa recognition last year at linebacker, after amassing 66 tackles, including 40 solo stops. He also had three interceptions.

“We’re basing the whole defense around them,” Monarch said. “We’ll give them some help with stunts and the strong safety can come up. We want our good outside contain to funnel everything into them. It’s nice to have [Torres and Ayres]. They know what works on both sides of the ball.”

Zach Robosky will be the third linebacker in short yardage, five-three alignments.

Secondary: Higgins and Spender are slated to start at cornerback.

“They both have speed and tenacity,” Monarch said. “They need to be like linebackers. There’s no rule a cornerback can’t be a hit man.”

Ross appears to have seized the starting strong safety job.

Astorino and McGee are slated to share time at free safety.

“Safeties are the ones who have to protect against the big run,” Monarch said. “They have the ability to be part of the action more than a corner. Same type of athlete, but a little more ground to cover; a little more thinking.”

Ross and Astorino will also be backups at cornerback.

Kicking game: Senior Alex Edelstein, the Academy League Most Valuable Player in soccer, will kick off and handle field-goal and extra-point attempts.

“He has been regularly hitting 45- to 50-yarders all summer,” Monarch said.

Ross will take care of the punting as well as returning punts and kickoffs.