CdM High offensive lineman Jake Trachtman commits to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Corona del Mar High School senior offensive lineman Jake Trachtman reckons that he has had some bad luck when it comes to football.

In his sophomore year, he sustained a broken elbow. As the Sea Kings’ starting left guard as a junior, he suffered a Jones fracture in his left foot in the opener that kept him out until Week 10.

Trachtman returned in whatever capacity he could, so in the playoffs, he served as a blocker for CdM’s kicking team.

“The thing I most admire about Jake is his ability to overcome adversity,” Sea Kings left tackle Thomas Bouda, an Army commit, said.

“When he dealt with those injuries for two years, he never quit and never gave in. He would never complain, he put his head down and worked his tail off. His work ethic, his drive, his dedication to get better every single day is something that I really admire about him. He’s someone you want playing next to you on a Friday night.”

Working through the pain has earned Trachtman an opportunity to play the sport he loves beyond his high school years.

Trachtman committed to the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo football program on Thursday.

A 6-foot-7, 290-pound senior, Trachtman said he also considered Northern Arizona and Lehigh among his top three. He said he also had offers from the University of San Diego, Valparaiso and Lake Erie College.

Corona del Mar offensive lineman Jake Trachtman joins Thomas Bouda (Army) as committed players on the Sea Kings’ offensive line.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

“My goal for football was to use athletics to get me into a college which I could not have with just purely my own grades,” Trachtman said of why he chose Cal Poly, adding that he felt a connection with the coaching staff. “I’m truly super lucky to get into Cal Poly. I love the location. It’s going to set me up for life.”

The Sea Kings senior cast a wide net of gratitude when it came to the people that helped him reach this goal. He named head coach Dan O’Shea, offensive coordinator Kevin Hettig and offensive line coach Clay Kennedy from the CdM coaching staff.

He also raved about the workouts that he did with his personal trainer Karif Byrd, some of which began with 6 a.m. runs on the track at Orange Coast College.

“We basically transformed my body into something completely different, and I’m a whole [new] person, from night and day,” Trachtman said. “All credit to him. He pushes me to be the best I can be, and he makes us strive for greatness.”

In battling back from a foot injury last year, Trachtman was able to contribute to a CdM playoff run that he described as, “one for the books.” The Sea Kings got payback against Simi Valley Grace Brethren 56-28 in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 final, before going on to beat San Mateo Serra 35-27 in the CIF State Division 1-A championship game.

Trachtman was not going to let the season go for naught. He said he learned to take his life into his own hands and make sure he had no regrets from his father, Marc.

With the coronavirus pandemic threatening his senior season, Trachtman, a self-proclaimed history buff, and his teammates have not lost sight of their chance to repeat it. The Sea Kings finished last season undefeated at 16-0.

“The virus hasn’t stopped any of us,” Trachtman said. “I know all of my teammates have been working hard during this quarantine. No excuses. Everyone is trying to find a way to get some work in, whether it’s going to the local park and getting some sprints in, or it’s having their own home gym, or it’s doing push-ups every night before they go to bed.”

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