Coming of age

Nobody really tells Laguna Beach High junior Austin Paxson to act his age.

The Laguna Beach High junior consistently acts older, and the Breakers football team is better off for it.

How else to describe Paxson coming in at quarterback the second game of the season last year? He started by the fourth game and helped lead Laguna Beach to the second round of the CIF playoffs for the first time in 21 years.

The number that was maybe the hardest to believe? Paxson was just 14 years old during this whirlwind turn of events. Even now, he’s 15 but won’t turn 16 until January.

“I guess I’ve always been young for my grade,” Paxson said. “I haven’t had any problems with that. It seems like I blend in fine.”

Paxson turned in a second-team All-Orange Coast League season last year for Laguna Beach, passing for 1,030 yards, nine touchdowns and just five interceptions. He returns at quarterback for this year’s Breakers, who face University in a scrimmage today in preparation for the season opener Sept. 11 at home against Corona del Mar.

Coming back with nearly a full year of varsity experience should only help the confidence of Paxson, who stands 5-foot-9. But then, that’s never been a problem, Breakers Coach Jonathan Todd said.

“In our second game last year, our No. 1 quarterback [Andrew Paddon] was in and just wasn’t getting it done,” Todd said. “We put [Paxson] in and he did really well, and from that point on he became our guy. For a 14-year-old, just phenomenal poise. That was the thing right off the bat. Bad snap, he’d still recover and make a play. He’s really good under pressure. He’s a straight-A kid who in his head, he totally knows the offense. He sees it. He got it from day one and it’s been great for us as coaches. He’ll actually make good suggestions during games and in practice.”

Paxson played quarterback part-time his freshman year, as well as defensive back and kicker. He was brought up to varsity last year, and it became clear the offense needed a bit of a jump start. In their first two games, the Breakers were outscored a combined 71-0 by Coronado and Corona del Mar.

Paxson came in during the second half of that Corona del Mar game. He also played in the second half of Laguna’s third game; the Breakers lost to Piedmont, 17-15, but Paxson led two touchdown-scoring drives.

From then on, the spot was his, and he never looked back. It was again the poise, for a 14-year-old, that was impressive. The best statistical game came near the end, in a 39-14 win over Santa Ana in the first round of CIF. Paxson passed for four touchdowns, all to good friend Chris Paul; both set school records.

“He really stepped up into a big role and got the job done,” said Paul, the returning all-CIF receiver. “He was confident in himself, and we were confident in him to get the job done.”

Paxson went on to play baseball last spring, hitting .442 in limited time. Limited, because he suffered a dislocation of his left kneecap.

At first, he thought he tore his ACL, but Paxson was able to recover in a couple of months.

Still, he was only a spectator as the Breakers baseball team nearly won its first league title in 46 years before finishing second to Costa Mesa.

“It was tough to sit there and watch,” said Paxson, who has a 4.0 grade-point average. “I’m a really competitive person. We had a chance to win the league down the stretch.”

The Mustangs won the Orange Coast League in football last year as well, but the Breakers are out to change that. Paxson said he’s excited, because not only do the Breakers have talented players at the “skill” positions, but a solid offensive line led by senior stalwarts Chris Hilleman and Ryan Raffo.

“I have high expectations,” Paxson said. “We have this set up for a good year.”

Look for the quarterback to continue to act mature beyond his years.

“You put a sophomore in, it could go really bad, but he performed right off the bat,” Todd said. “He just got better and better. At the end of the season, someone had to remind me he was 14 years old. You almost forget about it.”