Daily Pilot Football Player of the Week, Chris Manderino:

Singularly skilled

Barry Faulkner

Whether chosen based on superstition or envy, or merely assigned by

pure chance, one’s jersey number frequently provides a clue as to how

they approach the game.

But, on the rarest of occasions, an athlete’s number not only reveals his

role on the team, but, in a single, succinct, distinctive digit, defines

his character.

Such is the case with Newport Harbor High junior Chris Manderino, who

embodies the No. 1 he wears for the Sailors football team.

“The No. 1 thing about him,” Coach Jeff Brinkley said, no pun intended,

“is that he’s a winner. He’s a tough kid, mentally and physically, he

likes to compete and he’s very poised for a guy in his first season as a

varsity starter.”

Anyone who doubts Brinkley’s assessment should merely check the record.

After starring as a tailback and linebacker on the freshmen team,

Manderino spent his sophomore year quarterbacking the junior varsity to a

9-0-1 season and a share of the Sea View League title.

This season, he won a spirited battle for the starting varsity job and

has proceeded to guide the Tars to a 7-0-1 mark, including a 28-0 triumph

over Woodbridge Friday, which clinched at least a share of the league

crown.

That’s 16-0-2 under center for the Daily Pilot Player of the Week, who is

neither transcendently talented, nor cut from classic quarterback cloth.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder does, however, get the job done with guts and

guile, not to mention ample athleticism.

“(Renowned New York Jets Coach) Bill Parcels said the grading system he

uses for quarterbacks is how many games they win,” Brinkley said. “And

that’s kind of the way I look at it, too. The last two years, between the

JV team and this team, Chris hasn’t lost a game.”

Manderino, who also starts at outside linebacker, ran for two touchdowns

and threw for another against Woodbridge, displaying his continued

emergence as a double threat on offense.

“We’ve created some things to get him involved running the ball, like

quarterback draws and bootlegs, and he’s definitely a threat,” Brinkley

said. “But, at the same time, he’s really developed his passing skills.

He threw two great balls against Woodbridge, including one in the end

zone (a 17-yard touchdown strike to Justin Jacobs). He has good arm

strength, he takes coaching well and he plays within the system. He’s

gained a lot of confidence and he’s developed confidence in him from the

people around him.”

Manderino, who played quarterback only once in five seasons of Jr.

All-American Football, savors his opportunity to trigger an offense just

97 yards shy of 3,000 and averaging nearly 33 points per game.

“I’m improving as the season goes along and I’m feeling a lot more

comfortable,” Manderino said. “I love to win and I love to make big

plays.”

After a 1-yard sneak and an 11-yard scoring sprint on a bootleg against

Woodbridge, Manderino has rushed for four touchdowns and 141 yards on 32

carries. He has also completed 32 of 73 passes for 592 yards and eight

TDs.

Manderino also likes making big hits, which his defensive duty enables

him to register with repetition.

“I’ve always been a two-way player,” he said. “I don’t like watching from

the sidelines.”

Manderino’s aggressiveness serves him well on both sides of the ball, but

he has had to learn to make discerning decisions about where and when to

throw.

“The hardest thing to learn about playing quarterback has been to make

the right decisions and not to force the ball,” Manderino said. “I’m

still trying to get better with that.”

But when receivers are covered, Manderino merely reverts to his tailback

days.

“I love running the ball,” he said. “Having been a tailback, I think I

see the field well. If I get pressure, I’m not afraid to take off.”

Manderino’s defensive role is unique for Harbor quarterbacks during

Brinkley’s 14-season tenure, but the veteran coach knows his signal

caller can take care of himself out there.

Manderino said his throwing elbow has swelled slightly from collisions

the last two weeks, but he refuses to don any protective padding.

“I’ve been thinking about wearing an elbow pad on defense, and maybe some

gloves, too,” Manderino said. “But it would just be too much hassle.”