Sage mashes Trojans

NEWPORT COAST — Sage Hill School football coach J.R. Tolver likened assembling his lineup Friday night against nonleague visitor Silver Valley to a game of Mr. Potato Head.

But though the Lightning were without three starters due to injury or illness, and dealing with another injury that affected the availability of another standout, what might have been a personnel famine turned into a feast on the scoreboard.

Senior Andy Multari, filling in for Randall Mycorn (separated shoulder) at quarterback, and junior Eric Cheng, filling in at running back for junior Taylor Ross, who was relegated to defense by a broken thumb, both had stellar nights for the hosts, who posted a commanding 43-6 triumph.

Sage (3-1) received 120 rushing yards, including a 36-yard touchdown scamper, from Multari, who also threw for 55 yards and a touchdown with three completions.

Cheng, who had carried the ball two times for minus-three yards coming in, rushed for three touchdowns. And his darting punt returns of 26 and 38 yards, respectively, on Silver Valley’s first two punts, led to short touchdown drives.

“I felt like it was Mr. Potato Head, where you kind of take his parts and put them all over the place,” said Tolver, whose team opened a 21-0 lead after one quarter, 28-6 at halftime and cruised. “We were hurting tonight in the injury department.”

Senior center-linebacker Brendan Killaly was not in uniform due to a strained knee and the player scheduled to replace him at center (Alec Vanhoogenstyn) missed the game with an illness.

Senior Dusty Orrantia and freshman Taylor Petty, both two-way standouts, as well as Multari suffered bumps and bruises that left them either limping or temporarily sidelined. And senior starting receiver Lion Wintemute missed the second half with a sprained ankle.

Cheng scored on runs of 11 and 22 yards, with a one-yard Orrantia scoring run in between to account for the first-quarter point production.

The Sage defense (six sacks, including two each by end Connor Gaughan and outside middle linebacker Mo Kreitenberg) helped keep the Trojans (0-3) at bay.

In addition, Sage recovered two muffed punt receptions, two fumbles on kickoff returns, and two fumbles on running plays to further hinder the visitors. Thomas Fenner recovered two fumbles for the Lightning.

Orrantia added an interception for Sage.

Multari hit Gaughan on a 21-yard fade to cap the first-half scoring for the hosts. Gaughan had two catches for 48 yards.

Ross kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Lightning a 31-point cushion late in the third quarter and Cheng capped a breakthrough performance with an eight-yard scoring run midway through the final period.

Cheng finished with 67 rushing yards on 12 carries while Orrantia collected 72 rushing yards on 22 attempts, with most of those yards coming with Silver Valley tacklers draped on him.

“Eric Cheng is going to be a staple in this program for a long time,” Tolver said of the 5-foot-7, 140-pounder. “He’s a tremendous athlete and a competitor.”

Senior end Adam Donchess was another defensive star.

Sage Hill 43, Silver Valley 6

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Silver Valley 0-6-0-0--6

Sage Hill 21-7-9-6--43

FIRST QUARTER

SH – Cheng 12 run (Ross kick), 4:28.

SH – Orrantia 1 run (Ross kick), 1:07.

SH – Cheng 22 run (Ross kick), 0:51.

SECOND QUARTER

SH – Gaughan 21 pass from Multari (Ross kick), 8:02.

SV – Aquino 3 run (run failed), 4:51.

THIRD QUARTER

SH – Ross 37 FG, 4:08.

SH – Multari 36 run (kick failed), 3:10.

FOURTH QUARTER

SH – Cheng 8 run (kick blocked), 8:32.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

SV – Aquino, 5-46, 1 TD; Yarbrough, 9-31; Caylor, 3-9; Powell, 1-0; Esparza, 1-minus 1; Carlilse, 1-minus 6; Glenn, 13-minus 8.

SH – Multari, 11-120; 1 TD; Orrantia, 22-72, 1 TD; Cheng, 12-67, 3 TDs; Petty, 5-16; Ascher, 1-minus 3; Team, 2-minus 2.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

SV – Glenn, 2-11-1, 25.

SH – Multari, 3-5-0, 55, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

SV – Thrash, 1-20; Weber, 1-5.

SH – Gaughan, 2-48,1 TD; Petty, 1-7.