LA JOLLALA JOLLA — With his versatility and football IQ on the field and uplifting spirit off the field, quarterback Jaden Mangini is guiding La Jolla Country Day High School on a four-game win streak this season.
ing for six touchdowns in a 48-17 victory against Coronado High School on Sept. 8, Mangini’s ability to read a defensive and run the ball make for a formidable challenge to opposing teams.
“I just want to prove myself, being from a smaller school,” Mangini says. “I’ve always worked my butt off.”
Quarterbacking is a recent venture for Mangini, having played in previous years as a two-way starter at middle linebacker and running back. Coming into the position for his senior year with his know-how and initiative is something Coach Tyler Hales says gives him an advantage.
“He’s not a quarterback. He just happens to be a really darn good football player,” Hales said. “We knew from the summer leading up to his freshman year that he was going to come in and be a different contender right away. Even as a freshman, [we] saw the leadership potential he had. In his sophomore year he took even more initiative, and last year as a junior he was elected as a captain.”
Toward the end of last season, Country Day’s quarterback suffered a broken collarbone, and coaches had Mangini step in. In that first game as a starter during his junior year, he threw three touchdowns and made about 16 tackles.
“One of the big things I’ve seen [improve] over his four years is his football IQ,” Hales said. “It’s something he’s developed a ton over the last few years. His ability to read defense, having that experience as a linebacker, but also to be able to move his feet and run the ball gives him an edge. There was a play he made during a game in Las Vegas where he should have been sacked a few different times, but he kept on his feet a little longer to be able to throw for 20 yards and make a touchdown.”
From a coaching perspective, Mangini’s versatility both offensively and defensively allow for the team to employ a wider stratagem of plays. This approach contributed heavily to Country Day’s recent victories over Crawford and Coronado high schools. Mangini ed for an impressive five touchdowns against Crawford, and six against Coronado.
“When you’ve got a mobile kid like him, there’s a lot of different things you can do,” Hales says.
“The positions are for sure different, but it’s all football no matter what position you’re at,” Mangini said. “Having that experience with me, it’s mostly instinctual. I’m still pretty new at it, but I’m getting better every week, and I’m having a lot of fun with it.”
Both on and off the field, Hales commends Mangini’s work ethic and affable personality, qualities that he says make him a standout leader.
“He’s totally a guy that makes everyone around him better regardless of where he is on the field,” Hales says. “He is phenomenally gifted as an athlete, but it’s paired with an unparalleled work ethic. It’s something special, and the rest of the guys see how hard he works and how much he wants it, and they want to be better for him because of it. Whether [it’s] these guys he’s been in school with for 10 years or a brand new freshman, he treats them all like they’re his best friend, like they’re his family.”
Agreeing, Mangini said, “From freshman to seniors, it’s a brotherhood, as cliché as that sounds. There is no division between the grades or between anyone. I just want to be a great role model, that means a lot to me.”
Hales also goes on to say that when Mangini visits him during his office hours, he extends his enthusiasm to younger students as well as teachers and staff.
“That’s the kind of kid he is. He’s always looking to lift others, and genuinely wants people to feel good,” Hales says. “He has this natural charisma about him that makes people look up to him. I’ve got two kids of my own that really look up to him.”
Mangini has been recruited by the Naval Academy, where he would play linebacker, an opportunity that affords him the chance to continue a legacy that traces back to his grandfather.
“When I met [Navy] Coach [Brian] Newberry it was an automatic connection,” Mangini recalled. “When I got the offer I wasn’t thinking about it too much, but I talked it over with my parents. With the Naval Academy you get an amazing education and that military aspect that you can’t trade for anything else. It’s really honorable. My grandfather was a Marine and used to always say ‘do it the Marine way,’ and it’s an honor to carry on that tradition.”
As of the drafting of this article, La Jolla Country Day is 4-1, first place in their league. Mangini says he hopes to continue the momentum through the rest of the season and into the playoffs.
“CIF is on our minds this season,” Mangini says. “That’s an accomplishment I’ve always wanted to have since freshman year. We’re feeling really good; we just have to keep it rolling.”
Country Day is slated to face The Bishop’s School on Sept. 30, Santa Fe Christian on Oct. 13, Classical Academy on Oct. 20 and Francis Parker on Oct 27.
