Tyler Hales, La Jolla Country Day’s head football coach, immediately recognized a visitor’s Kansas City Monarchs hat. “Negro Leagues,” Hales said. “I had an Oscar Charleston jersey made up for my son, Coleman,” who is 10 years old. “The HBL — Hales Brothers League. We play 50-game seasons with a dice-and-card game like Strat-O-Matic. We have a draft every year.”

Hales, the youngest of four siblings, has played his older brothers in the Negro Leagues game “for years.” Names like Biz Mackey, Double Duty Radcliffe, and Bullet Joe Rogan roll off his tongue in a torrent.

More importantly, the Torreys’ coach is riding quarterback Jaden Mangini (above), linebacker Chris Hughes, and company, now 5-1 after swamping Army-Navy 35-6 in a Coastal Conference game on Sept. 22. Country Day is on a five-game win streak after losing the season opener. They began the league slate with an authoritative 34-14 win at Escondido Charter on Sept. 14.

“We switched to a 3-4 defensive alignment” with three linemen and four linebackers midway through the Torreys’ opening loss at Chula Vista 48-26, explains Hughes, who plays buck linebacker. “We hadn’t even practiced it. We have guys who like flying around. We can send blitzing packages and get sacks and strips.”

That mere change from a 4-3 defense has helped key all that has followed. Despite the loss, “It got our attention. We had to focus more,” says Hughes, a senior pursuing digital marketing and graphic design. “I think it was one of those losses that catapults you,” says Hales, in his 10th year as head coach, hungry for a Coastal Conference title.

Mangini, a three-year starter who played both ways at linebacker and running back, has completed 71 percent of his passes and carried many more times (78) than any other back. “We found he could throw the football really well,” says Hales.

On the heavily upper-class-laden squad, junior Jack Levin helps lead in the locker room. A backup to Mangini at quarterback, “He’s a talented player. A ton of credit goes to him. He does extra work in film, and elsewhere,” says his coach.

Senior Gianno Kassab, 6 feet 3 inches tall, 220 pounds, is a two-way player. Kyle Minasian, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 225 pounds, is a senior captain. “He’s in the trenches and gets the linemen going.”

“Two key things in our success are our running game and our offensive line,” says Mangini, the QB. “They open up holes for us to go through. We have playmakers in all the skill areas.”

Linebackers Isaac Grassi (46) and Hughes (44) led the team in tackles through the first five games.

Senior Madden Craig plays both ways at wide receiver and defensive back. “He goes 110 percent every practice and every game. Everyone follows him,” says Hales.

Davin Doak and Jack Circuit are two receivers “who run really hard”.

What is something you’d like to do that you’ve never done? Chris Hughes: “Exploring my faith. I’ve been Catholic my whole life. It’s not because it’s my parents’ faith. It has broadened my perspective and deepened my faith.”