Sage Hill falls short
The Sage Hill School football team got stuck in reverse in the closing minute of Friday’s nonleague game against visiting Laguna Beach.
But by taking the Breakers to the wire in a 21-17 loss, few would argue the Lightning did not take a monumental step in the right direction in its quest for a positive season.
Sage Hill (1-4), which is now 0-5 against Orange Coast League teams, rallied from a 14-0 deficit to claim a 17-14 lead when Robbie Rosoff kicked a 27-yard field goal with 5:10 left in the game.
Laguna Beach (2-3), which had been stymied by the Sage defense since opening its 14-0 cushion on the first play of the second quarter, suddenly pulled it together to produce its winning drive.
The Breakers, led by senior quarterback Jack Simon, went 80 yards on eight plays, with Simon capping the procession with a 28-yard touchdown run with 2:51 left.
After returning a short kickoff to its own 43-yard line, Sage’s comeback bid began poorly with a penalty and a three-yard sack to bring up second-and-18.
But junior quarterback Caden Sheetz scrambled to the Laguna Beach 47 for a first down with 2:01 left and, after another sack, scrambled for 17 more yards to put the Lightning on the Breakers’ 35-yard line with 1:17 remaining.
A bubble screen to David Dewey gained eight more, but a draw was stuffed for a six-yard loss and Sheetz was sacked on third down for another six-yard loss. With the clock winding down and fourth-and-14 for the Lightning, Laguna Beach called timeout with 11 seconds left.
Sage’s final snap began ominously when the shotgun snap skipped past Sheetz, who retreated to gather it in and began giving ground in an attempt to avoid the rush. Attempting to find room to throw and a receiver to target, Sheetz was sacked for the sixth time as the clock ran out.
Both quarterbacks were the key figures for their respective offenses, as Simon carried 25 times for 174 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He and also completed 12 of 18 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown.
Sheetz’s 31-yard sack to end the game left him with a team-best 47 rushing yards, including gains of 18 and 17 yards on the final drive. Sheetz finished with 92 passing yards, completing 11 of 22.
Neither team committed a turnover, but Laguna Beach helped the Sage cause with a pair of short punts that gave the Lightning a short field.
Sage cashed in a 13-yard punt early in the second quarter to produce a four-play, 23-yard touchdown drive that ended on Sheetz’s one-yard run. Rosoff’s conversion kick pulled the hosts within 14-7, with 8:24 left in the half.
A 21-yard punt set Sage up at the Breakers’ 34-yard line later in the third quarter and DJ Henry capped the ensuing nine-play drive with a one-yard run off left tackle to pull the hosts even with 10 seconds left in the third quarter.
Henry darted five yards to the 20-yard line to convert fourth-and-two, to extend the equalizing drive.
After Laguna Beach missed a 39-yard field-goal try wide right with its ensuing possession, Sage used a 71-yard Sheetz scramble, after picking up a low shotgun snap, to set up Rosoff’s go-ahead field goal.
Sheetz was chased down at the Laguna three-yard line, but Sage had a run stopped for no gain, committed a procedure penalty and was sacked on third down to settle for the field goal.
A procedure penalty negated what would have been a 42-yard Rosoff field goal late in the first half and the subsequent 47-yard attempt went wide right.
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Laguna Beach 21, Sage Hill 17
SCORE BY QUARTERS
LB 7 7 0 7 – 21
Sage 0 7 7 3 – 17
FIRST QUARTER
LB – Simon 1 run (Cracknell kick), 6:51.
SECOND QUARTER
LB – Harrison 61 pass from Simon (Cracknell kick), 11:50.
SH – Sheetz 1 run (Rosoff kick), 8:24.
THIRD QUARTER
SH – Henry 1 run (Rosoff kick), 0:10.
FOURTH QUARTER
SH – Rosoff 27 FG, 5:10.
LB – Simon 28 run (Cracknell kick), 2:51.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
LB – Simon, 25-174, 2 TDs.
SH – Sheetz, 15-47, 1 TD; Henry, 16-44, 1 TD .
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
LB – Simon, 12-18-0, 149, 1 TD.
SH – Sheetz, 11-22-0, 92.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
LB – Hayes, 6-53.
SH – Dewey, 5-31; Copeland, 3-27