Sage Hill’s Nicholas Karahalios receives Express League’s top honor in 8-man football

Sage Hill School senior running back Nicholas Karahalios earned the Express League Player of the Year award after leading the 8-man football team to an undefeated league championship in its first season in the league.

Karahalios was one of six Lightning players making the first team, and BJ Crabtree took home the Coach of the Year honor.

Crabtree, in his third year at the helm of the Lightning, guided Sage Hill to a 10-1 overall record, 6-0 in league, and the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Sage Hill’s perfect season ended with a 56-7 loss at No. 4-seeded Canoga Park Faith Baptist on Nov. 12.

Karahalios rushed for 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged nine yards per carry.

The other Sage Hill first-team selections included John Bush, a senior tight end and defensive end, Darius ShayanSmith, a senior quarterback, Michael Sherlock, a senior middle linebacker and wide receiver, Christopher Karahalios, a sophomore cornerback, and Conner Hatzenbuehler, a senior fullback and defensive end.

Brethren Christian’s Mark Harmonson and Seth Klaasen also made the first team. The Warriors went 2-6 overall and finished sixth in the league at 1-5.

The second-team members were Sage Hill juniors Jake Nadelman and Dhruv Patel, and sophomores Christian Moyano, Alvaro Corona and Aidan Kang, and Brethren Christian’s Levi Wicks, Jace Knowles and Dakota Whitmire.

The Express League Offensive Player of the Year award went to Avalon senior running back Jason Campos and the Defensive Player of the Year honor to Avalon senior defensive end Cristobal Hernandez.

Twitter: @DailyPilotSport