Mike Sciacca
When Zack Friedrichs graduates Friday from Sage Hill High School, he
takes with him a list of firsts from the co-ed private school in
Newport Beach.
Friedrichs, a Huntington Beach resident, is part of Sage Hill's
first graduating class, some 35 seniors strong.
The 17-year-old will leave the school as its first and only
four-letter varsity athlete, having earned that distinction by
playing football, basketball, soccer and baseball, said Sage Hill
athletic director, Nate Miller.
"I had a fun time playing all those sports," said the 6-foot-1,
175 Friedrichs. "It was challenging but I enjoyed it."
Friedrichs never played all four sports in the same school year,
but participated in three each of his three years at the school that
opened its doors at the start of the 2000-01 school year.
He began his prep career playing soccer as a freshman at Servite,
another private school. But, after one semester, he transferred to
Marina High where he joined the Vikings' baseball program.
When Sage Hill opened, he left Marina.
With a student body of 350 students, Sage Hill, a member of the
Academy League, afforded Friedrichs the opportunity to play and
succeed at the varsity level in all four sports, he said.
"I don't think there'd be any way that I could play all four
sports at such a large school like Marina," said Friedrichs who
attended The Pegasus School in Huntington Beach and played local AYSO
soccer and in Ocean View Little League. "There's a lot more students
there than at Sage Hill and that means a lot more will play
athletics."
Sage Hill first began fielding varsity teams in all sports --
except football -- in the 2001-02 school year.
As a sophomore he played football, soccer and baseball. His junior
year, he subbed out soccer for basketball, but participated as a
senior in the same sports he played as a sophomore.
"I never played football until my sophomore year, when I got to
Sage Hill," he said. "I started out as a receiver as a sophomore but
as a junior they converted me to quarterback."
Sage Hill fielded its first varsity football team this past fall,
and Friedrichs will go down in school history as its first varsity
quarterback.
The Lightning finished its first varsity football campaign with a
3-7 record.
He played on two CIF teams while at Sage Hill, helping lead the
Lightning to a playoff berth in soccer and baseball during the
current school year.
On the baseball diamond the pitcher/shortstop hit .460 with 29
RBIs, 26 runs scored and a home run.
