MANCOS – A cheer erupts from Ms. Epps Mancos Elementary School third grade class every time Kaiden Wyatt enters the room.
Seventh-year head coach Josh Gardner can hear the praise for his senior standout all the way on the other side of the MHS campus. “The third graders are always raving about how they got to talk with Kaiden,” said Gardner, “and that’s because he’s so friendly and kind.”
Amid his own studies, Wyatt finds time to visit the elementary school as a student aide, something that both he and the younger students relish.
“They’ll come to talk to me about the game, I’ll show them some of our highlights on Hudl – they love it,” said Wyatt with a smile. “It gets them wanting to play, wanting to be a part of this system – and helping them believe that they can do it, too.”
On the field, Wyatt is all business. Right as opposing quarterbacks are barking out their cadence, Wyatt is doing the same on the other side of the line from his middle linebacker spot. He’s letting his seven teammates on the field know what to watch for, which gaps to hold, and where the defensive pressure can break through.
It’s a chess match, and more often than not, the Bluejay defensive adjustments put their opposition in checkmate.
“I know that the rest of my guys on the field do their job well,” said Wyatt, “so that makes me want to make sure I do my job to the best of my abilities.”
Those abilities are extensive – on offense, Wyatt’s bruising running style and good hands as a receiver make him a matchup nightmare for defenses to handle.
Adding to that, as the weather gets colder, Wyatt and Bluejay ground-and-pound offense only gets stronger. “This is our type of football – when its freezing, our opposition doesn’t want to get pounded in the face, especially by a 230-pound running back,” said Wyatt.
Reflecting on his growth in passion for the game, just like the third graders that he mentors, Wyatt recognizes all the positive influences that guided him along the way. “I grew up around the game – my grandma (Stacey Mascarenas Hall) was AD at Cortez, my uncle (Mike Hall) coaches basketball, so it helped me understand ‘that’s what I want to do’.”
Add to that mix his biggest influence, Wyatt plays for his father, Jarrod, who serves as the defensive coordinator for the stingy Bluejays.
“He (Jarrod) gives me a lot of control to make calls on the field,” said Kaiden of his father, “so I’m able to call lot of the different stunts and twists, especially when we see our schemes getting to our opponents.”
Wyatt made a lot of his early impact with the varsity program on the defensive side of the ball, but has taken on the role as the featured fullback, with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage this season.
“He started building as a leader even as a younger kid,” said Gardner, “showing his teammates how important it is to be in the weight room – and now he’s still leading his team with his words and actions every day – it’s like having a coach on the field, he’s the whole package.”
Wyatt’s also shown his touch around the rim for the Bluejay basketball program, averaging double figure scoring for the ’23 SJBL champs. However, his first passion is the gridiron, something that he’s hoping to continue long after he received his MHS diploma this upcoming spring.
In the meantime, however, he and his teammates want to ride this journey as far as it will take them. With Kaiden, there’s no telling just how high these Bluejays can soar.
