Sage Hill outlasts Warriors

HUNTINGTON BEACH — A little game-plan tinkering, never-wavering confidence and continued growth kept Sage Hill School a second-half team and undefeated in the Academy League.

Senior running back Don Ayres brought the confidence, never doubting the youthful line that planted in three-point stances in front of him. In the second half, the line, made up entirely of first-year starters, showed it can fuel the offense like its predecessors did.

And, Lightning Coach Tom Monarch changed the blocking scheme to allow for 154 yards rushing for Ayres and a 21-0 advantage in scoring in the second half, leading to Sage Hill’s 35-21 league victory over Brethren Christian at Ocean View High Saturday.

Ayres finished with a season-high 186 yards on 21 carries and three touchdowns for Sage (4-3, 2-0 in league) and just as quickly as he ran by Warriors’ defenders he passed the acclaim to the offensive line.

“I owe it all to them,” said Ayres, who also caught two passes for 22 yards. “Right in the third quarter I knew they were going to wear them down. I just wanted to keep it going.”

Cody Gates, Ryan Ramming, J.J. Schumacher, Joey Puishys and Dan Kernan cleared the holes, with help from fullback Max Torres, that allowed Ayres to run for five gains of 15 yards or more in the second half. Puishys said it was the change in blocking, especially adding in some trap blocking plays, that sparked the line.

“Trapping is the best,” Puishys said.

With 369 yards on the ground Saturday, the Lightning have racked up 614 yards rushing the past two games.

“Last week the offensive line graduated to varsity,” Monarch said. “Tonight I told them to just take last week and let that propel them on. In 20 years of coaching the offensive and defensive line has won every game.”

The Lightning defense was not shut out of the second-half fun. In the first half, Warriors senior quarterback Derrick Connor ran the ball 13 times for 40 yards and two touchdowns, while completing four of six passes for 95 yards.

The second half was a stark difference as Connor carried the ball three times, fumbling once, and didn’t complete any of his six passing attempts unless you count the three interceptions.

Puishys, who also played linebacker, said it was the line that helped create space for the linebackers to make tackles.

“Tackle Cody Gates was drawing the offensive line out,” Puishys said. “It made it easier for Don Ayres, Max Torres and me to make tackles. When I see it open up it’s like a godsend. It’s like my birthday. I get a free shot at the quarterback.”

With the running game stuffed the Warriors were forced to pass and the secondary made them pay.

The first came as Ayres had a sack in his grasp, but Connor got the ball away only to see cornerback Braden Ross pick it off.

Safety Jamie McGee stepped in front of a receiver on the subsequent drive to pick off another pass and safety Tom Multari made a leaping pick to seal it.

Torres had 114 yards rushing and a touchdown on 19 carries.