Firsts for Friedrichs

Mike Sciacca

When Zack Friedrichs graduates Friday from Sage Hill High School, he

takes with him a list of firsts from the co-ed private school in

Newport Beach.

Friedrichs, a Huntington Beach resident, is part of Sage Hill’s

first graduating class, some 35 seniors strong.

The 17-year-old will leave the school as its first and only

four-letter varsity athlete, having earned that distinction by

playing football, basketball, soccer and baseball, said Sage Hill

athletic director, Nate Miller.

“I had a fun time playing all those sports,” said the 6-foot-1,

175 Friedrichs. “It was challenging but I enjoyed it.”

Friedrichs never played all four sports in the same school year,

but participated in three each of his three years at the school that

opened its doors at the start of the 2000-01 school year.

He began his prep career playing soccer as a freshman at Servite,

another private school. But, after one semester, he transferred to

Marina High where he joined the Vikings’ baseball program.

When Sage Hill opened, he left Marina.

With a student body of 350 students, Sage Hill, a member of the

Academy League, afforded Friedrichs the opportunity to play and

succeed at the varsity level in all four sports, he said.

“I don’t think there’d be any way that I could play all four

sports at such a large school like Marina,” said Friedrichs who

attended The Pegasus School in Huntington Beach and played local AYSO

soccer and in Ocean View Little League. “There’s a lot more students

there than at Sage Hill and that means a lot more will play

athletics.”

Sage Hill first began fielding varsity teams in all sports --

except football -- in the 2001-02 school year.

As a sophomore he played football, soccer and baseball. His junior

year, he subbed out soccer for basketball, but participated as a

senior in the same sports he played as a sophomore.

“I never played football until my sophomore year, when I got to

Sage Hill,” he said. “I started out as a receiver as a sophomore but

as a junior they converted me to quarterback.”

Sage Hill fielded its first varsity football team this past fall,

and Friedrichs will go down in school history as its first varsity

quarterback.

The Lightning finished its first varsity football campaign with a

3-7 record.

He played on two CIF teams while at Sage Hill, helping lead the

Lightning to a playoff berth in soccer and baseball during the

current school year.

On the baseball diamond the pitcher/shortstop hit .460 with 29

RBIs, 26 runs scored and a home run.

“He’s one of our best athletes and really, only one of a handful

of kids to commit to three sports and achieve the varsity level in

the same school year,” Miller said. “He was a key figure on our

football, soccer and baseball teams.”

The honors continued for Friedrichs earlier this month when he was

selected by the Academy League’s athletic directors as the league’s

senior male athlete of the year.

Friedrichs attended a dinner on May 27 at the Anaheim Convention

Center that honored the male and female athletes from all Orange

County leagues.

He will attend another private school, Whittier College, in the

fall.

He plans to tryout for the Poets’ football and baseball teams.

“I figured, ‘why not?,’” he said. “I’ve tried it in high school

and figured I’d give it a shot in college. I think the smaller,

private schools offer more opportunities. I’m looking forward to that

challenge.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].