Turnovers too costly

Richard Dunn

As the autumn afternoon turned downright chilly with a Newport

Beach breeze blowing through Saturday’s fog, the visiting St.

Margaret’s High football team warmed up with big plays in the second

quarter and burned Sage Hill High’s defense in a 31-6 Academy League

victory.

The Lightning (3-5, 0-3 in league) is playing its first varsity

season, and, with two games remaining, including the league and

season finale against Brethren Christian, it still has a chance to

reach Coach Tom Monarch’s ultimate goal of finishing at .500.

But this one didn’t help on the road down that path. The Lightning

had senior quarterback Zach Friedrichs limping throughout because of

a deep thigh bruise, but playing with heart, and it played an opening

quarter by eating up the clock’s final 6:15, plus an addition 1:15 to

start the second quarter before the Lightning came up short on

fourth-and-14. It was an impressive drive that began on its own 15

and concluded at the St. Margaret’s 22.

But, with the San Juan Capistrano-based Tartans (4-3, 1-0)

leading, 3-0, the fireworks erupted and Sage Hill found itself buried

in a hole. First, sophomore running back Derek Steffien broke several

tackles before an 83-yard touchdown run for St. Margaret’s with 9:20

to play in the first half. Hutch Parker, who kicked a 23-yard field

goal in the first quarter for the Tartans’ lead, added the PAT and

St. Margaret’s built a 10-0 advantage.

From Steffien’s touchdown run through the end of the first half,

Monarch would probably like to throw away the video tape.

“That second quarter killed us,” Monarch said. “It was one

horrible quarter. We played three decent quarters and one horrible

quarter. We just let them get loose.”

Following Steffien’s long touchdown run, Sage Hill senior wide

receiver/linebacker Erik Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 64

yards to the St. Margaret’s 35. But on the Lightning’s first play

from scrimmage, St. Margaret’s 6-foot-5, 205-pound defensive end,

Jared Kettler, reached high in the air and grabbed a screen pass from

Friedrichs, then returned the interception 59 yards for a touchdown.

Parker added the PAT for a 17-0 lead.

On Sage Hill’s second play since taking the next kickoff, St.

Margaret’s tackle Brendan Downes recovered a Sage Hill fumble and the

Tartans were in business again at the Lightning 25. Chris Pike made

an excellent sideline catch on the first play and touched the pylon,

but the ball was spotted just inches from the goal line. No problem.

Running back Andrew Morrison scored on the next play.

After another quick Sage Hill offensive series, in which the

Lightning went three downs and punt, the Tartans were on the attack

again with great field position at the Sage Hill 43.

Steffien, who carried 11 times for 188 yards and two touchdowns,

reached paydirt from 37 yards out on the option pitch from

quarterback Sebastian Bacon, who also kicked the PAT for a 31-0 lead

with 3:10 still left in the first half.

“That was a nice second quarter,” St. Margaret’s Coach Brady Lock

said. “We got some breaks and we were fortunate to capitalize on

those breaks.”

Despite the lopsided first half, Sage Hill won the time of

possession battle (14:07-9:53) and had just as many first downs

(five) as St. Margaret’s.

“In the first half we came out playing like a junior high football

team, and then in the second half we played Sage Hill football and

beat them, 6-0,” Monarch said. “We just didn’t come out with a lot of

determination, and in the sport of football, you can’t do that. I

didn’t think they were tremendously better than we were.”

Sage Hill got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, when a

roughing-the-passer penalty on St. Margaret’s kept a drive alive and

gave the Lightning an automatic first down. Friedrichs teamed with

Williams on a 45-yard pass play on first down, then the same

combination produced a 9-yard touchdown pass with 5:28 left on the

next snap.

Sage Hill plays Long Beach-based St. Anthony Friday in a nonleague

game.