Santaluces has made a permanent quarterback change and it has coincided with the Chiefs becoming one of the hottest football teams in Palm Beach County.
Junior Jaxson Mariconi bet on himself, transferred from Park Vista to Santaluces despite the Lantana school having an incumbent starter in senior Jorris Sheppard. It has worked out – to put it mildy.
When asked his mindset when training camp began in early August, Mariconi, not known for his gregariousness, said, “Get the job. That was it.’’
Mariconi, who is 6-2, 190 pounds, has been the guy in a dizzying stretch of three games in eight days, including Sept. 6’s resumption of its postponed contest at Palm Beach Gardens.
While running back Kelsley Gerald is the high-powered offensive engine, Mariconi is the poised engineer who hasn’t thrown an interception yet.
Gerald posted 240 yards in Santaluces’ 28-27 upset Sept. 12 – a victory that has vaulted the Chiefs into the Palm Beach Post’s Top 10 power rankings.
Santaluces (2-2) hosts Seminole Ridge at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
“He’s a good player who is smart,’’ coach Hector Clavijo said. “He manages the game well, doesn’t make mistakes. Without our run game being so dominant, that’s what we need. You don’t need Aaron Rodgers throwing 80-yard passes. You need a guy who will be more like Chad Pennington – control the game, don’t make mistakes, make the right reads, make the right throw. That’s what we’re looking for.
“This offense is simple, efficient,’’ Clavijo added. “We need a guy to control the sticks.’’
Mariconi, who has competed 39 of 62 passes for 578 yards, made his first start Sept. 4 at Boynton Beach and guided Santaluces to a 9-7 rivalry victory in the rain. Though Sheppard started at Palm Beach Gardens when the game began back on Aug. 29, Mariconi picked it up for its resumption Sept. 9.
Santaluces had possession at the Palm Beach Gardens’ 38 with 6:37 left trailing 21-14. Mariconi led them to a touchdown, hitting Lenard LaAntoinie for a 10-yard score.
However, the snap on the extra point was botched, Palm Beach Gardens ran out the clock and Santaluces suffered a 21-20 loss.
Without a practice entering Palm Beach Central’s home showdown (Sept. 10’s session was cancelled for lightning), the Chiefs were undaunted.
“It feels great,’’ Mariconi said. “We really needed that win after that loss to Palm Beach Gardens. Kelsey just had himself a great game. We gave it a lot to the hot man.’’
Still, Mariconi was a rock, had a huge first-down pickup on a scramble despite not being regarded as a runner. The junior never considered Santaluces the underdog against Palm Beach Central.
“(I thought) we had the better team,’’ Mariconi said. “I felt we wanted it more. They came out with low energy and we came out shooting immediately. We’re makings great plays. Receivers are making plays. All around, the offense is sparking lately.’’
There was no spark last season at Park Vista. Amid a losing season, Mariconi, then a sophomore, rotated at quarterback with Tristen Pokabla, a junior. Each quarterback would play one half.
“I don’t like that we shared lot of time,’’ Mariconi said. “I don’t think I deserved that. It lowered my confidence. It felt I was playing on eggshells and made some dumb mistakes.”
Mariconi wasn’t new to transferring. This is his third school in three years.
He started his high school career at Cardinal Newman but saw the writing on the wall. Cardinal Newman star Jyron Hughley was a sophomore and slated for big things.
“He’s a better athlete,’’ Mariconi said of Hughley. “Once we got into spring (football), they said he was going to be the starter (the next year) and I just wanted to play ball.’’
Hughley has committed to West Virginia. Mariconi is eyeing Division I, too, and has been talking with Florida Atlantic University.
“I’m a really good pocket passer,’’ Mariconi said. “I know how to read the field, make the right throw.’’
Added Clavijo, “He doesn’t try to do too much and knows strengths and weaknesses and plays to his strengths.’’
That Santaluces was guided by Clavijo, whose won state titles in Miami, was a factor in Mariconi’s decision to bolt Park Vista. Mariconi lives in Lake Worth.
“I thought they had a better team,’’ Mariconi said. “I thought I could win the job. I wasn’t going to sit around and share the job one more year (at Park Vista). The atmosphere here is the players want to go to college. They want to win at ball. I felt at Park Vista, some people didn’t love football. I didn’t like that.’’
Regarding Clavijo, Mariconi said, “Being a 3-time state champion is not really easy. He brings that sort of competitiveness to the game.”
During training camp, Mariconi sensed he would eventually win the job. In the season-opening road trip against powerhouse Baylor School of Chattanooga Tennessee, Mariconi relieved Sheppard during the second half and passed for two late touchdowns in the 56-17 loss, going 6 of 9.
But Sheppard got the call the next game against Palm Beach Gardens. “I felt if I kept doing what I was doing, I’d get the job sooner or later.” Mariconi said. “I felt I earned the job.’’
At Tuesday’s practice on Sept. 16, Sheppard and Mariconi took the same amount of snaps. Clavijo said he still wants to get the senior Sheppard more snaps this season since he, too, has college ambitions.
Seminole Ridge isn’t exactly the toughest foe on the docket. “We just got to dominate – that’s it,’’ Mariconi said. “I think we’re ready. These next five games, we need to dominate.’’
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How Santaluces football found momentum after quarterback change, Palm Beach Central upset
Reporting by Marc Berman / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
