Loper-led Lightning off to a sizzling start

Rick Devereux

To say Sage Hill School is growing is a bit of an understatement.

Not only has the enrollment increased from 120 in the 2000-01

school year to approximately 400 this year, according to the CIF

Southern Section Directory of Schools, the athletic programs have

started to build a tradition.

The boys and girls teams in tennis, cross country and track and

field have already established themselves as Academy League

contenders. The football team advanced to the CIF Southern Section

Division XIII playoffs for the first time this fall and now it looks

as if the boys basketball team is making strides.

The Lightning were 10-13 last year and missed the playoffs. In

2002-03 Sage finished 11-14, advancing to the second round of the

Division VI playoffs. Sage was 7-8 in 2001-02, its first year of

varsity basketball.

The Lightning are off to the best start in school history,

improving to 10-1 by winning the championship game of the Tarbut

V’Torah tournament Tuesday. It was the program’s first tournament

title.

“We still don’t know who we are yet,” third-year coach Steve Keith

said earlier this year.

It has been mostly the Matt Loper show so far. The 6-foot-3 senior

has led the Lightning in scoring nearly every game. Loper, a

second-team All-Academy League selection last year, is averaging

better than 20 points per game. He was the MVP of the Tarbut V’Torah

tournament.

“Loper is our leading player, without question,” Keith said. “His

versatility is his biggest strength. He has played a lot of point

guard. He is our best wing and post-up player. And he takes the

[opening jump at center] for us.”

The four-year varsity performer scored a career-high 32 points

against Mesrobian Dec. 14, which bettered a previous career-high of

28 points posted in the first two games of the season.

“He is a great all-around player,” Keith said. “He has the ability

to be one of the best in the league.”

The type of offense Keith runs has allowed Loper to shine.

“We run a relatively easy motion offense,” Keith said. “We can

give [Loper] the ball on the wing, out on the perimeter, inside and

at point. He is a difficult guy to guard and the motion lets him get

the ball in all sorts of situations.”

Keith is also expecting contributions from seniors Mike Voge,

Jordan Ogden, Stephen Hancock, Alex Samel and Michael Morgan.

“We have seniors who have some experience,” Keith said. “Voge has

a tremendous work ethic and is tough as nails. Ogden is good outside

shooter. Hancock can play both inside and outside for us. And Samel

is a good post player.”

The stock of seniors with experience is counterbalanced by three

freshmen: Nick Witte, Connor Rose and Jamie McGee.

“It’s kind of a mixed bag for us,” Keith said. “Loper is one

strength for us, but, in all honesty, our next biggest strength is

the freshman class. Those three will play a lot for us this year,

which means we should have a bright future for years to come.”

McGee scored 20 in the TVT tournament title victory and was named

all-tournament.

The early success has not left Sage overconfident.

“We’ve got a schedule where we can get some wins in December,”

Keith said. “But December is practice time for us. We need to focus

on the 10 Academy League games that really count. We’ll get a little

tougher brand of basketball once we get into league.”

The Lightning open league play Jan. 7 at home against Oxford

Academy.