McGee, Milder take to the air

Sage Hill School quarterback Jamie McGee has been waiting patiently

for his turn.

And through the first four games of this season, Lightning

football coach Tom Monarch hasn’t had the opportunity to truly test

his passing game.

But Friday night, through intermittent fog, Sage went to the air

in a 47-6 nonleague victory over visiting Twin Pines.

McGee, a sophomore, completed 16 of 25 passes for 235 yards and

three touchdowns, two of which went to senior wide out Zach Milder.

McGee also ran for a score to lead the Lightning to their fifth

straight victory, adding to their school record.

The Lightning (5-0), whose game against host Viewpoint was

canceled last week due to fires, had two-weeks worth of pent-up

aggression that was unleashed on the Bobcats (1-4).

“We were all anxious to play,” McGee said. “We didn’t get to play

last week so we came out fired up.”

McGee’s touchdown passes came on 48, 34 and 27 yards, the longer

two going to Milder. Senior tailback Keya Manshadi caught the

27-yarder on a flare-out and zig-zagged his way to the end zone.

McGee ran for a 7-yard score.

Fueled all season by the ground attack of Manshadi and junior

fullback Don Ayres, McGee had his first opportunity to prove the

Lightning passing game can be just as powerful as the running game.

“Every week Jamie’s getting better,” Monarch said. “Even the first

few games when we’ve been racking up the ground yards, he’s been

effective.”

McGee’s passing prowess Friday came in less than three quarters of

work, as Sage sent in the reserves near the end of the third quarter

with a 47-0 lead.

“Jamie’s amazing,” said Milder, who caught one TD in the second

quarter and the other in the third. “He’s only a sophomore and by far

the most mature sophomore I know. He knows everything that’s

happening on the field.”

A newcomer to the football squad this year, Milder also had a

breakout game, hauling in six catches for 133 yards and the two

scores.

Monarch said the coaching staff has been trying to work Milder --

who Monarch describes as an all-around gifted athlete -- into the

offensive game more.

“Zach’s just one of those athletes,” Monarch said. “His routes are

really sharp, his hands are soft and he’s got pretty good speed. It’s

our duty as coaches to implement him more into the passing game.”

Meanwhile, as McGee and Milder were connecting left and right,

Manshadi and Ayres were routine, as far as scoring goes. Ayres rushed

nine times for 65 yards and two touchdowns while Manshadi carried

five times for 32 yards and a score.

It was the first time all season where the team’s passing attack

surpassed the running game.

“In practice we’ve been working on our spread offense,” McGee

said. “We’ve been viewed so far as a running team, so I think this

game proved we can do both.”

And on defense, the Lightning stifled the Bobcats, holding the

visitors to just two first downs and 44 total yards of offense. Prior

to 60-yard touchdown run by Twin Pines running back Armani Foster

with 45 seconds remaining, the Bobcats had minus-16 yards of offense.

“We know we will have much more formidable foes when [Academy

League] play begins,” Monarch said.

Sage Hill 47, Twin Pines 6

SCORE BY QUARTERS

*--*

Twin Pines 0 0 0 6 - 6

Sage Hill 13 20 27 0 - 47

*--*

FIRST QUARTER

SH -- Manshadi 1 run (kick failed), 4:18.

SH -- Ayres 2 run (Ross kick), 21.4.

SECOND QUARTER

SH -- Milder 48 pass from McGee (Ross kick), 9:23.

SH -- Ayres 1 run (Ross kick), 2:51.

SH -- McGee 7 run (kick failed), 29.4.

THIRD QUARTER

SH -- Milder 27 pass from McGee (Ross kick), 8:57.

SH -- Manshadi 34 pass from McGee (Ross kick), 5:10.

FOURTH QUARTER

TP -- Foster 60 run (pass failed), 45.0.

A -- 400 (est.)

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

TP -- Foster, 2-73, 1 TD; Rice, 14-minus-16; Davis, 6-minus-8;

Escobar, 4-minus-5.

SH -- Ayres, 9-65, 2 TDs; Manshadi, 5-32, 1 TD; Torres, 7-16;

McGee, 2-17, 1 TD; Multari, 1-minus-13.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

TP -- Escobar, 0-8-1.

SH -- McGee, 16-25-0, 236, 3 TDs; Higgins, 0-1-0.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

SH -- Milder, 6-133, 2 TDs; Manshadi, 5-54, 1 TD; Ross, 5-48.

GAME STATISTICS

*--*

TP SH

First downs 2 14

Rushes-yardage 26-44 24-117

Passing yardage 0 235

Passing 0-8-1 16-26-0

Net return yards* 0 74

Sacks-yardage 2-6 0-0

Net yardage 44 426

Punts 7-35.1 2-30.5

Fumbles-fumbles lost 1-1 0-0

Flags-net yardage 3-20 7-70

Time of possession 24:17 23:43

*Punt returns, interceptions, fumble returns

*--*