Lee Sawyer, a grounds manager at the school, is leaving after 41 years, but he’ll continue to support athletics

CHULA VISTA —  Sprinting up and down the La Jolla Country Day sideline Saturday afternoon for the Div. 3 championship game against Grossmont High, waving a Torreys flag, was 71-year-old Lee Sawyer. Or as he’s known on campus: “Flag Man.”

Sawyer is in his 41st year at the school, where he works as the grounds manager.

“He keeps things nice and clean,” said a LJCD trainer.

“I’ve been supporting this team when nobody knew about us,” said Sawyer, midway through the Torreys’ 73-34 win at Southwestern College. “Now, we’re on the map.”

Sawyer wears a blue LJCD jersey, normally with the No. 1.

“I’m the No. 1 fan,” said Sawyer.

But for Senior Night on Oct. 27 against Francis Parker, LJCD two-way star Jaden Mangini asked him to wear his No. 2. Sawyer has obliged ever since.

“I call him ‘Ironman,’” said Sawyer. “Mangini’s a loving, respectful young man.”

A pretty good football player, too. The Naval Academy-bound Mangini was responsible for 10 TDs, rushing for four and throwing for six. He passed for 414 yards and rushed for 115.

Sawyer said he’s retiring in June, but he’ll continue his “Flag Man” role.

“I’m supposed to be on the sideline,” he said.

Pass the leg, please

Sprawled on the Southwestern College turf, posing for pictures after the win, LJCD lineman Luke Givens sported an ice pack on his left wrist and was holding a turkey leg in his right hand.

The turkey leg was supplied by offensive line coach Marco Scavuzzo. Anticipating a win and mimicking the late John Madden’s tradition of awarding turkey legs on Thanksgiving Day games, Scavuzzo bought six turkey legs for his players.

He deep-fried them Saturday morning, stuffed them in a backpack, snuck them past security, then busted them out after the game. A LJCD alum who walked on as an offensive lineman at USC, Scavuzzo wanted to honor the players for their hard work, including practicing on Thanksgiving morning.

“I’m just all about creating culture, positivity and fostering a positive attitude for football and life in general,” said Scavuzzo.

Asked how the turkey leg tasted, Givens said, “Amazing, especially after this win.”

Hitting the high notes

La Jolla Country Day RB/DB Reign Villareal was thrust into action even before kickoff, singing the national anthem. A 5-foot-7, 130-pound senior, Villareal said he has been singing in choirs and musicals “my entire life.”

Villareal said he was “a bit nervous” before kickoff. He didn’t practice the anthem during the week, but in pregame warm-ups he mentally rehearsed the words and notes.

Asked to give his performance a grade on a 1-10 scale, Villareal said, “An eight. I wanted to sing it higher but my range wasn’t there.”

The audience approved, giving him a rousing ovation.

Kicking up a storm

La Jolla Country Day’s cheerleaders began the day doing one leg kick for every point the Torreys scored. As the points piled up, the girls started tiring a bit, requesting an amendment to the routine.

“They started pleading early on,” said cheer coach Christine Mitchell, who doubles as the Torreys’ head athletic trainer.

The cheerleaders actually got a break when LJCD scored 35 points in the third quarter. That was when the cheerleaders went to the other side of the field to join the Grossmont cheerleaders.

By the end of the game, the squad was performing one jump for every 10 points. A running clock in the fourth quarter helped, too.

Said Jordan Jones, a sophomore cheerleader, “We’re all exhausted.”