Tradition is paramount at Servite High School.
The all-boys Catholic school in Anaheim, California, follows routines that have been in place for decades. From the head football coach’s dress shirt-and-tie get-up for games to the bagpiper who walks the players onto the field, Servite is unlike the other high schools in the loaded Trinity League.
No tradition at Servite is more renowned than the “hut” drill, a series of military-style stretches. Opposing fans stay in their seats to watch the team’s pregame and postgame performances, which date back to 1961.
The “hut” drill begins when one player at the front of the evenly divided group begins clapping. It’s an honor given to a team captain. This year’s captain is linebacker Jacob Manu, who — along with two of his high-profile teammates — has verbally committed to play for the Arizona Wildcats starting next year. Manu chose the Wildcats last month; Arizona was the only Power Five conference school to offer him a scholarship.
The 5-foot-11-inch, 210-pound Manu will be joined by quarterback Noah Fifita and four-star tight end Keyan Burnett. A fourth player, All-American wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, strongly considered the Wildcats before verbally committing to Oregon.
Manu is the lone defensive player among Servite’s Arizona-bound trio. He wasn’t a part of the recruiting trip that had Fifita, Burnett and McMillan posing for photos with UA uniforms and a bottle of orange juice in hand to represent their Orange County roots.
But regardless of what side of the ball the future of UA football plays on, “they’re team guys,” said Servite coach Troy Thomas.
“They’ll bring work ethic and culture,” Thomas told the Star following Servite’s 24-10 loss to Bellflower St. John Bosco last week. “They care about their teammates and they’re going to put their team first, and they’re going to work really hard to change things. That’s what they’ve done here.
“Four years ago, these guys took a chance on us, and we were kind of the bottom-dwellers of this league.”
Servite linebacker Jacob Manu sprints during warmups before a game against St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California.
Despite an exhausting effort collectively, Servite’s defense, led by Manu at middle linebacker, never wavered in the energy category and allowed the Friars to have a fighting chance in rivalry games against Southern California powerhouses Santa Ana Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.
“A big thing about Servite is that we always stay together through thick and thin,” said Manu, who finished last week’s contest with a team-high 12 tackles. “Whether we’re down by 100 or up by 100, we’re always going to keep that same attitude, because Coach Thomas always wants to keep that same spirit with us.”
Manu primarily plays middle linebacker. In certain schemes, however, gap responsibilities and coverages allow him to play both middle linebacker and outside linebacker. That type of versatility should make it easier for him to find a role in Don Brown’s defense.
“I don’t mind playing any linebacker position,” he said. “I could play all of them, if they needed me to. Wherever the team needs me to play, I’m willing.”
Manu was a late addition to Arizona’s 2022 class, which ranks fourth in the Pac-12 by 247Sports.com.
UA coach Jedd Fisch attended a Servite-Orange Lutheran game Sept. 3. Manu said he “heard they were coming and I had to ‘ball-out’ and show them what I can do.”
A few days later, Arizona offered Manu a scholarship. It took him just a few days to accept.
“I was excited,” he said. “It’s another chance to play with my boys for another four years, so that was great. … I didn’t say yes on the spot, but I’ve been talking to them for a while now. I knew that if they offered me, I’d probably pull the trigger.”
Manu thinks he knows why he didn’t have any other major offers. He’s listed, perhaps generously, at 5 feet 11 inches and 220 pounds.
“I hear that I’m too short and didn’t meet the (eye test),” he said. “But it’s all good. … It just makes me want to work harder.”
Against St. John Bosco, Manu often dropped back in coverage against five-star junior tight end Matayo Uiagalelei, the younger brother of Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. The younger Uiagalelei holds offers from Alabama, Oregon, USC, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Clemson, among a plethora of other schools.
“(Manu) had to take on that guy and he’s a future Division I player,” Thomas said. “Mater Dei is 300 pounds across the board, and Jacob holds his own. The guys he has to tackle, these kids are Division I athletes. I know there’s going to be an adjustment for all the kids that go to college, but Jacob is an exceptional athlete.”
Added Thomas: “He’s a typical inside backer and likes to hit anything he can. He’s just such a great guy to coach.”
Manu first started playing football when he was 5 years old. He played youth football for the Orange County Buckeyes, where he met Fifita.
“We’re really close and we’ve been playing since we were in the eighth grade. I’m trying to win something over here and then hopefully win something over there in Tucson,” Manu said.
Servite linebacker Jacob Manu waits for a signal from the sideline during last week’s game. Though he’s listed at just 5 feet 11 inches, Manu has helped Servite compete — and thrive — in an ultracompetitive league.
Bonded together by their love for football, Manu and the 5-10 Fifita relate to each other by embracing the underdog role.
“We’ve always been the underdog, but we just always fight through it and prove everybody wrong, and I know he can,” Manu said.
Thomas believes the experience against heavy-hitting programs like Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, both of which are representations of elite high school football in the Los Angeles area, will make up for their lack of size.
“I don’t think the game will be too big for them. You play in big games when you’re in the Trinity League. … To be successful in this league, you have to grind,” Thomas said. “You have to work, and I think at the college level, they’ll step in and be prepared.”
Over the last few years, the Servite program has trended in a positive direction. After going 4-5 in 2018, the Friars have posted season records of 7-4 and 8-2. In 2019, Servite nearly pulled off an upset win over national champion St. John Bosco.
Now Servite is the seventh-ranked team nationally at the high school level. Mater Dei holds the top ranking, with St. John Bosco at No. 4. The Friars fell short once again to the two programs that have been the vein of talent in L.A. for USC, UCLA and Oregon, losing to the L.A. superpowers by a combined 23 points. It’s progress: Servite lost to both teams by 91 combined points in 2019.
Manu, Fifita and Burnett have helped make Servite relevant again in Southern California. They hope to do the same in Tucson.
“I’m not saying they’re going to go in there and be college football players right away,” Thomas said, “but they’ll adjust and make an impact on the Arizona program for sure.”
