High School Football Preview: Sage Hill still adjusting to being an 8-man program

Senior quarterback Willie Leong takes a snap during a recent Sage Hill football practice. Leong is coming off a huge 2016 campaign where he passed for 40 touchdowns and ran for eight others.

By Lou Ponsi

Aug. 25, 2017 3:35 PM PT

As Sage Hill embarks on its second season playing 8-man football, there is still some transitioning left to do, B.J. Crabtree, the Lightening’s second-year coach, said.

The numbers aren’t quite where Crabtree wants them, with some students still disappointed by Sage Hill’s move from 11-man and unwilling to join the team, he said.

“Our invitation will always be there,” Crabtree said. “But ultimately it is their choice.”

Still, Crabtree has reached his goal of adding 12 freshmen and plans on bumping up the numbers every year until getting a 35-man roster.

As for this season, Sage Hill’s roster sits at 20, with a few potential add-ons. The 12 freshmen are joined by two sophomores, four juniors and three seniors.

Sage Hill’s greatest strength offensively is its ability to spray the ball all over the field. Six returnees have started on one or both sides of the ball, Crabtree said.

“We bring a balance on offense that I didn’t see last year from many teams in the 8-man league,” Crabtree said.

The Lightening’s biggest challenge offensively, the coach said, is filling the void left by the graduation of receiver Miles McCord, who had 67 catches for more than 1,000 yards and 28 touchdowns.

The offense will center around senior quarterback William Leong, who threw for 2,128 yards and 40 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and rushed for 500 yards and eight touchdowns. His play allowed the Lightning to go 5-4 last year and make an appearance in the CIF Southern Section 8-Man Division 1 playoffs, where it lost against Avalon, 43-7.

With Leong working to be admitted to the Naval Academy, Crabtree has total confidence in the senior’s ability to lead the team.

With the exception of returnee Ian Morgan, who moves from tackle to center, Leong is being protected by a young offensive line with limited varsity experience.

On the defensive side of the ball, Crabtree hopes to see improvement in the Lightening’s run defense.

“That has been a point of emphasis from day one this summer,” he said. “We will have to go prove it early in our season … I believe that we have made considerable strides.”

A group of juniors will be heavily involved on both sides of the ball.

Those include Michael Sherlock (WR/LB), Nick Karahalios (RB/DE), Darius Shayan-Smith (TE/DE) and John Bush (WR/DB).

The three-man coaching staff also remains intact.

“The best thing about the three of us is that we are teachers and educators of young people, and understand collectively that life is about experience, and we continue to believe in creating the best experience possible for these students,” Crabtree said.