Sage, offense fade away

NEWPORT COAST — Despite a 7-3 regular season, the Sage Hill School football team failed to outscore its opponents, breaking even with 238 points apiece.

So it was that the Lightning offense failed to strike in the final two quarters Friday night, allowing visiting Grace Brethren to rally for a 20-17 win in the first round of the CIF Southern Section East Valley Division playoffs.

Sage (7-4), which utilized junior Tyler Ross primarily as a running quarterback, kept the Lancers (6-5) off-balance enough to score on its final three first-half possessions to secure a 17-6 halftime edge.

But Grace Brethren made some adjustments on defense and held the hosts to one yard in the final two periods, as Sage fell to 1-4 in first-round games, including three straight setbacks.

Ross recovered a fumble to halt Grace Brethren’s first second-half possession at the Lightning 17-yard line. He also returned an interception eight yards to the Lancers’ 23-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Defensive linemen Adam Donchess and TJ Danner combined to stop Grace quarterback Max Leffler one-yard short of the goal line on fourth-and-goal from the one with 8:51 left in the game to protect a 17-14 Lightning lead.

But Leffler, who threw for 348 yards and ran for 26 more as the trigger man in the Lancers’ spread offense, had the last word.

Leffler led a four-play, 41-yard touchdown drive that finalized the scoring with 5:40 left.

The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, setting the Lightning up on their own 35, but, after one first down, the hosts failed to move the chains and punted with 3:22 left.

Grace Brethren picked up two first downs to run out the clock and advance to the quarterfinals.

Ross finished with 111 yards on 20 rushing attempts. He also booted a 36-yard field goal to open the scoring and added a pair of conversion kicks to add to his defensive heroics, which included causing and recovering a fumble to set up Sage’s final touchdown just before halftime.

Ross stripped the ball from a receiver after a reception over the middle, then fell on the fumble at the Grace Brethren 38-yard line, two plays after Sage scored to take a 10-6 lead.

Three plays later, junior quarterback Randall Mycorn hit senior Connor Gaughan on a fade pass for a 36-yard touchdown that put the Lightning in apparent control.

But Leffler, who was sacked three times (twice by Gaughan), proved more difficult to contain than the Lancer rooting contingent’s second-half enthusiasm.

Senior Travis Gerlach was similarly problematic for Sage defenders, as he had 10 receptions for 159 yards.

But it was a 27-yard catch and run by Conner Adlhoch that moved the ball to the Lighting one-yard line, to set up the decisive TD run.

Grace Brethren 20, Sage Hill 17

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Grace Brethren 0-6-8-6--20

Sage Hill 3-14-0-0--17

FIRST QUARTER

SH – Ross 36 FG, 0:31.

SECOND QUARTER

GB – Hogan 9 pass from Leffler (run failed), 10:12.

SH – Orrantia 1 run (Ross kick), 1:27.

SH – Gaughan 36 pass from Mycorn (Ross kick), 0:25.

THIRD QUARTER

GB – Meyers 21 pass from Leffler (Meyers run), 3:59.

FOURTH QUARTER

GB – Schmidt 1 run (pass failed), 5:40.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

GB – Meyers, 11-64; Leffler, 8-26; Schmidt, 4-18, 1 TD; Gillilard, 2-5; Team, 1-minus 25.

SH – Ross, 20-111; Orrantia, 15-32; Wintemute, 1-minus 2; Mycorn, 4-minus 16; Cheng, 3-minus 24.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

GB – Leffler, 24-45-1, 343, 2 TDs.

SH – Mycorn, 3-6-0, 38, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

GB – Guilliland, 10-159; Blake, 4-62; Adlhoch, 3-46; Hogan, 3-32, 1 TD; Gerlach, 2-26; Meyers, 2-18, 1 TD.

SH – Gaughan, 2-38, 1 TD; Cheng, 1-0.