Sage Hill gets first triumph

NEWPORT COAST — An elaborate halftime skit performed by a Sage Hill School spirit group appeared to signal the passing of the ceremonial scepter from the old “Lightning Boy” mascot to this year’s version.

On the football field Friday night, this year’s version of the Lightning appeared to accept the victory torch that was carried eight times by the Sage Hill squad in 11 games in 2007.

Sage Hill posted a 24-8 nonleague triumph over visiting Animo Leadership of Inglewood for the first win of the young season for the youthful Bolts.

Sophomore quarterback Randall Mycorn threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns to spearhead an offense that benefited from rolling downhill much of the evening.

Sage Hill’s defense kept the Aztec Eagles (0-2) out of the red zone for all but one Animo possession and intercepted three passes.

Lightning senior two-way standout Craig Jackson blocked one punt, partially blocked another, and helped alter a third to help create prime field position early.

So futile was Animo’s punt formation, the visitors abandoned it from midway through the second quarter until the second play of the fourth period. During that time, Sage Hill either stopped the Aztec Eagles on fourth down or intercepted to end four possessions, including one fourth-down incompletion that set the Lighting up at the Animo 32-yard line and led to a touchdown.

Sage cashed in a blocked punt by Jackson, who returned the loose ball eight yards to the Animo eight-yard line, with a 31-yard field goal by Taylor Ross to open the scoring early in the second quarter.

After a 13-yard punt, created by pressure from the Lightning rush, Sage went 33 yards on eight plays, as Mycorn hit Dusty Orrantia for a five-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to cap the drive.

Jackson, who was huge on both sides of the ball for the winners, added a two-point conversion run to all but end the evening’s suspense. The tight end had eight receptions for 69 yards and was a force at defensive end. After taking over on downs at the Animo 32 on the visitors’ subsequent possession, Mycorn lofted a perfect fade pass to Andy Multari in the end zone to expand the lead to 17-0.

Sage mounted its longest scoring drive of the night — 66 yards on seven plays — to add to the advantage, with sophomore quarterback Colton Gyulay capping the march on a 15-yard keeper with 12 seconds left in the third period.

A 47-yard run by Isaac Jernigan to the Sage Hill 15-yard line, led to a 15-yard TD pass with 6:40 left to allow the visitors to avert the shutout.

Sage (1-1), which fumbled nine times (losing three), in its season-opening 41-6 road loss to Fairmont Prep, fumbled four times, losing one, Friday.

Interceptions by junior linebacker Brendan Killaly, senior safety Justin Barbour and Multari, a junior cornerback, helped Sage win the turnover battle, 3-1.

“The main thing I tried to impress upon our guys after last week was to be physical on both sides of the ball,” Sage Coach Derek McIntyre said. “I think we did that.”

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].