Boys’ Soccer: Sage Hill’s Burns is league MVP

Sage Hill School senior center back Zach Burns was named the Academy League MVP after anchoring the boys’ soccer team to an undefeated league title and its best postseason run.

Burns led Sage Hill (16-11, 12-0 in league) to its first semifinal appearance in the CIF Southern Section Division 6 playoffs and a win in its debut in the CIF Southern California Regional Division IV playoffs. Burns is joined on the first team by four Lightning teammates, senior striker Nikolai Sadeghi, a two-time first-team pick, junior goalkeeper Robbie Rosoff, senior midfielder Juan Rodriguez and junior midfielder Gabriel Gamboa.

The quintet played a big role in Sage Hill blanking 13 of its final 19 opponents. Three of those shutouts came in the playoffs, including a 3-0 win at home against Covina, propelling the program past the CIF Southern Section quarterfinals for the first time, and a 1-0 win at San Diego Montgomery in the opening round of the CIF SoCal Regionals.

Luis Cruz, in his first season as coach of the Lightning, saw his team lose at Coronado, 7-0, in the quarterfinals of the CIF SoCal Regionals.

Sage Hill senior defenders Gordon Strelow and Anthony Gil, and sophomore striker Nelson Kim were on the second team.

— From staff reports