Leong triggers Sage win

There were vastly different outcomes when the ball left the hands of either team’s quarterback at Sage Hill School Friday night.

The host Lightning used a potent passing attack triggered by junior quarterback William Leong to rally past St. Michael’s Prep, 71-44, in a nonleague football game.

The Archangels couldn’t keep pace with the Sage aerial production, largely because quarterback Elliott Simons repeatedly had the ball slip through his hands. Simons, who was one-half of the visitors’ productive rushing attack, dropped multiple shotgun snaps directly into his hands and bobbled, batted down or chased down and fell on other snaps that were less accurate.

Leong, who threw four touchdown passes in the season-opening loss to Calvary Chapel Downey, completed nine of 12 for 236 yards and five touchdowns in the opening two quarters Friday. He finished 11 for 20 for 295 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. He also threw a two-point conversion pass and ran for a two-point conversion.

Senior receiver Miles McCord had 11 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a two-point conversion pass.

Sophomore Eddie Pelc had two receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another touchdown and returning an interception 44 yards for his fourth touchdown of the night.

The heroics of Leong, McCord and Pelc helped Sage recover from a 24-6 deficit.

After St. Michael’s Prep took a 30-21 lead with 6:06 left in the second quarter, Sage Hill produced 43 straight points to push its lead to 34.

Sage Hill recovered two Simons fumbles in the opening half and cashed in the second with a 61-yard scoring strike from Leong to McCord to take its first lead with 40 seconds left before intermission.

After St. Michael’s was offside on the would-be conversion kick, Leong ran in for two points on a sneak to make it 36-30 Lightning at the half.

Simons rushed for 96 yards and one touchdown on 29 attempts. But he completed just four of 14 passes for 69 yards and threw two interceptions. He had one scoring pass, a 19-year connection with DJ Mason.

Mason, who missed much of the third quarter due to injury, amassed 240 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries.

Sage’s defense tightened up midway through the second quarter. The Lightning sacked Simons three times, while linebackers Darius Shayan-Smith and Nick Karahalios both recovered fumbles.

Pelc had both Sage Hill interceptions.

Karahalios finished with 101 rushing yards on 12 attempts, including a 44-yard touchdown sprint in the third quarter.

Nonleague

Sage Hill 71, St. Michael’s Prep 44

SCORE BY QUARTERS

SMP 24 6 0 14 – 44

Sage 21 15 8 20 – 71

FIRST QUARTER

SMP – Mason 7 run (Elliott run), 7:48.

SH – Pelc 52 pass from Leong (pass failed), 6:53.

SMP – Mason 19 pass from Simons (Simons run), 5:25.

SMP – Simons 1 run (Mason run), 4:46.

SH – Pelc 39 pass from Leong (Karahalios run), 2:28.

SH – McCord 11 pass from Leong (Dannelley kick), 0:11.

SECOND QUARTER

SMP – Mason 16 run (pass failed), 6:06.

SH – McCord 17 pass from Leong (Dannelley kick), 3:44.

SH – McCord 61 pass from Leong (Leong run), 0:40.

THIRD QUARTER

SH – Karahalios 44 run (McCord pass from Leong), 4:12.

FOURTH QUARTER

SH – Shayan-Smith 33 pass from Leong (Dannelley kick), 11:49.

SH – Pelc 44 interception return (kick failed), 11:19.

SH – Pelc 26 run (Dannelley kick), 9:40.

SMP – Mason 46 run (Goodwin pass from Simons), 9:10.

SH – McCord 27 pass from Leong (Dannelley kick), 6:05.

SMP – Mason 58 run (pass failed), 1:34.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

SMP – Mason, 15-240, 4 TDs; Simons, 29-96, 1 TD.

SH – Karahalios, 12-101, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

SMP – Simons, 4-14-2, 69, 1 TD.

SH – Leong, 11-20-1, 295, 7 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

SMP – Mason, 2-55, 1 TD.

SH – McCord, 7-160, 4 TDs; Pelc, 2-91, 2 TDs.