Sage Hill runs for victory

SAN CLEMENTE — If the plan for Sage Hill School was to relentlessly pound the ball down the throat of Capistrano Valley Christian High, well then mission accomplished.

Don Ayres and the Lightning offensive line put on a clinic in their 42-14 Academy League rout over the Eagles (4-5, 1-2 in league) at San Clemente High Saturday.

“We knew coming in that they had a good ball-control offense and we had to keep the ball out of their hands.” Sage Hill head coach Tom Monarch said.

As a team, the Lightning (6-3, 3-0) ran for 303 yards and six touchdowns.

After last week’s aerial exhibition that featured Jamie McGee’s five touchdown passes, Sage Hill got back to its bread-and-butter behind Ayres, who was practically unstoppable.

The Lightning wasted no time early and took the opening possession right down the heart of the Eagles’ defense.

With almost half of the first quarter gone, Braden Ross capped off a 10-play, 70-yard scoring drive when he took an end around in for a 13-yard touchdown.

The Eagles first possession ended abruptly when sophomore Craig Jackson recovered a fumble, setting up Sage Hill at midfield.

Ayres scored on the next play after bouncing off one defender and running past the rest. He finished with 177 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 21 carries.

“That was nice,” Monarch said. “I thought we would need four touchdowns to win it and that was a good start.”

With 9:40 left in the second quarter, a seven-yard touchdown run by Ayres put the Lightning up, 20-0.

“I told the team that they could come back and win this so you can’t let up on them,” Monarch said.

After an Eagle score cut the deficit to 14 points, McGee converted a third-and-goal from the nine-yard line when he shrugged off a would-be sack and dove into the end zone.

In the second half, Ross picked up a bad snap and turned it into two points after Ayres broke off a 29-yard touchdown run. The Lightning closed out the scoring when Ayres went in from four yards out.

Sage Hill finished the game without a turnover and the Lightning also did not commit a penalty.

“That’s tremendous,” Monarch said. “It all comes down to the fundamentals. We drilled that to them in practice and it basically just comes down to good old fashioned football.”

Capistrano Valley Christian, on the other hand, committed four turnovers — three fumbles and one interception — thanks in much part to the Lightning defense. Ross recorded the interception, stopping the Eagles’ scoring drive at the Sage Hill six-yard line.

“We knew that they were prone to turnovers and that we would probably get our chance,” Monarch said. “We got a fumble on the kickoff and we protected the ball really well ourselves.”

Sage Hill plays host to Academy League favorite St. Margaret’s Thursday at 6. Both teams are undefeated in league play.

“Tonight’s win puts us in good position for the playoffs, but if we want to win next week we’re going to have to play flawlessly,” Monarch said.