Captain Crunch

He’s been bruised, cut and beat up, but Jared DePaiva of Saugus High keeps coming at you over and over.

The linebacker’s hard-hitting style has earned admirers.

“There’s so much intensity in this kid,” Saugus Coach Ron Hilton said. “He’s a throwback. He belongs in the ‘50s. Put a leather helmet on him and he’d be playing in his element.”

On Friday night, DePaiva will be playing in the Southern Section playoffs, leading the Centurions (5-5) against St. Francis (8-2) in a Division III opener at St. Francis.

A large crowd is expected to watch two teams that advanced to the semifinals last season.

But even if there were nobody there, DePaiva wouldn’t care. He loves the challenge, the opportunity to hit and be hit.

“That’s a big part of the fun,” he said. “Just to look at each other eye to eye and say we’re going to find out who’s bad and who’s not. That’s what I like.”

DePaiva is bad.

An All-Southern Section and All-Valley selection, the 6-foot and 205-pound senior will leave Saugus with most of the school’s career defensive records.

They don’t keep records for intimidation. Too bad. He’d own those, too.

Last season, DePaiva would harass all-section quarterback David Parker every day in practice, then scream at the linemen and call them too fat and slow.

Entering this season, Hilton asked DePaiva to tone down his practice-field ranting while the Centurions eased sophomore quarterback Chris Ahlheim into the offense.

“I think he was scared I was going to mess too much with his new quarterback,” DePaiva said.

His teammates have come to accept and appreciate DePaiva’s style.

“That’s the way he is,” said senior lineman Jeff Gallo. “He’s an intense player and likes to intimidate anyone he plays against. He loves to make you fear him and I can understand why people do. He hits extremely hard.”

DePaiva has put together a highlight videotape to send to colleges. As a longtime coach, Hilton has seen plenty of highlight tapes. But few like DePaiva’s greatest hits.

“It gives you chills,” Hilton said. “He’s just destroying guys, Division I college guys. On one hit, I thought the kid [DePaiva hit] was dead.”

DePaiva has yet to select a college, although Idaho and St. Mary’s are among the finalists.

Northern California has a special place in DePaiva’s heart.

Former teammate Chris Kobe plays at St. Mary’s, located in Moraga, and DePaiva has worked summers at his uncle’s winery near Danville, often putting in 78-hour weeks to prepare the fields.

Whether it’s stomping grapes or opponents, DePaiva continues to prove he has only one speed.

“There is no one more intense than DePaiva,” Gallo said. “He goes 100% every minute.”

Said Hilton: “You just don’t shut him off.”

Don’t expect DePaiva to be on the sideline much Friday.

When he’s not at linebacker, DePaiva will play running back--he’s Saugus’ No. 2 rusher with 168 yards and two touchdowns--and special teams.

DePaiva shares the same dreams of most high school players: to play big-time college football and some day make it to the professional ranks.

But if there are no million-dollar contracts in his future, that’s OK. DePaiva will continue barking, hitting and intimidating because, well, that’s what he does.

“It’s pretty true,” he said. “If it came down to it, I’d go back to the days of leather helmets and play for 50 cents a game and be happy.”