Athlete of the Week: Serra's Patrick Nunn

Despite a dazzling performance at the position, Nunn stepped onto the field last Friday at Hornet Stadium having never played cornerback in his life.

“Corner was a big switch-up because it was the first I had played corner my whole life,” Nunn said. “[Defensive coordinator Chris Vasseur] coached me up on technique for a couple days. Then he told me to go out and just be the natural athlete I am.”

Nunn, a two-way standout, was Serra’s leading receiver this season, and doubled as a strong safety. Going up against Cajon-San Bernardino in the Padres’ return to the state championship stage, though, something had to be done about manning up against 6-8 junior Darren Jones.

“We had zero percent chance of guarding him with the guys we had,” Serra head coach Patrick Walsh said. “So we asked who could handle this spot, who was tough enough … who had some height and some length who can handle it?”

The 6-3 senior answered the call. And while his gutsy defense against a towering specimen — one who led the state in receiving yards this season — has earned Nunn Daily Journal Athlete of the Week honors, such play may someday earn him a lot more than that.

“He could end up being an NFL safety,” Walsh said. “He’s got the prototypical body for an NFL safety — big, physical, can defend the run. He’s tough. He has all the makings of being a great safety.”

The younger brother of 2016 West Catholic Athletic League Co-Most Valuable Quarterback Leki Nunn, Patrick Nunn followed in those footsteps by earning WCAL Wide Receiver of the Year honors this season.

But with one dazzling play Friday, he proved the most valuable corner of the state championship game.

Through Cajon’s first two possessions of the game, Jones managed just one catch — a 1-yard reception on a bubble screen — but when the Cowboys took the ball at their own 29 to start the second quarter, quarterback Jayden Daniels quickly led his team downfield.

Serra was up 7-0, but that advantage seemed to be evaporating as Daniels found ways around his best receiver being tied in knots by Nunn. On third-and-6 from the Cajon 34, Daniels picked up just enough on a quarterback keeper to get a first down. Two plays later, he sprinted 38 yards and would have reached the end zone if not for a saving tackle at the 8-yard line by Padres linebacker EJ Lahlouh.

Then Serra’s defense slammed the door with a first-down stop by Nunn to hold a short pass to a 3-yard gain; cornerback Chris Park stifling an end around for a 1-yard pickup; and safety Isaac Jennings notching one of seven Padres sacks to push it back to the 7-yard line for fourth-and-goal.

Then the Cowboys took a shot at Jones. The long, athletic receiver ran a fade route into the back corner of the end zone. He got a 1-on-1 matchup with Nunn, but was in tangles after Nunn anticipated the play due to Jones lining up tighter to the offensive line, causing Nunn to get a jump on the route before Cajon even snapped the ball.

As Jones got airborne in the back of end zone, Nunn was right with him. And even though the junior receiver used his long reach to outleap Nunn and get both hands on the ball, Nunn timed the play perfectly and swiped at the right arm of Jones at the point of contact, and physically tore the receiver from the ball.

“That fade play they ran, it’s the No. 1 play they score on,” Nunn said. “Once I broke that up I knew that was the best they had and I was going to be able to match up with anything else they did.”

Jones still totaled 127 receiving yards in the game, but 48 of those were on his lone TD reception of the final play of the first half on a Hail Mary pass on which Nunn was not guarding him due to the receiver going in motion prior to the play.

Not only had Nunn never played corner, he had only played about half of Serra’s 15 games this season on defense at all. Walsh said Nunn was more valuable to the Padres on offense, especially with last season’s leading receiver Shane Villaroman scuffling through early-season leg injuries.

Nunn, though, was persistent in asking to play defense, which he said he prefers to offense.

“I guess we were just saving his energy for the biggest game at the end of the year,” Walsh said. “And obviously he was right.”

Even with the completion of Serra’s state-championship season, Nunn will continue his year by participating in next month’s Polynesian Bowl, a sort of high school Pro Bowl to be held at Hawaii’s Aloha Stadium.

But even the Aloha State can’t hold a candle to Serra’s one historic moment in the sun with a 38-14 victory last Friday in Sacramento.

“I was just loss of words,” Nunn said. “Standing out there on the field, when I saw the Gatorade shower on Coach Walsh, I knew we really redeemed [losing the state championship game] last year. … I think we did something special not just for Serra but for the whole community. … It was really our finest hour.”