The Inglewood Sentinels football team is elated that they can compete during the 2020-2021 season and they are showing it every time they hit the field. Inglewood had their first game on March 25, their season consists of four games. Junior quarterback Justyn Martin considered it “a blessing to play.”
“I was excited to get back on the field after such a long time,” Martin said. “I know our seniors enjoyed it and they’re very thankful.”
The Sentinels executed wins by large margins and even got an opportunity to compete in the Rose Bowl during their shortened season. Despite not having fans, several players were excited to play in the Rose Bowl when they battled against the Muir Mustangs of Pasadena on April 2. Inglewood defeated Muir 70-14.
“Being able to say I was playing at the Rose Bowl as a high school student was just amazing to me and amazing to my teammates also,” said senior corner Fred Martin. “Being able to compete and have a great win as a team is amazing.”
The motto for the offensive line is “fast, physical, efficient.” Their wide receiver corps is strong, aiding in Martin scoring eight touchdowns against Muir. This is Martin’s first season with the Sentinels.
“We put in a lot of work, we go through a lot of techniques, fundamentals,” said senior offensive lineman, Devin Hancox. “We try to be very disciplined and make sure Justyn has enough time to complete the right passes.”
Along with their strong offense, the Inglewood defensive line has forced key turnovers during games. Executing the techniques taught to them and knowing their responsibilities help the defense be competitive.
“Our defense motivates us, we all motivate each other on the team,” said senior wide receiver Orion Peters. “We always want to keep our energy going.”
In their second game this season, the Sentinels battled against the Irvine Vaqueros. Despite a slow start, Irvine became competitive in the fourth quarter and scored 15 points. Their defensive schemes kept the Sentinels from passing the ball.
“Our offense, we really try to stay efficient,” Peters said. “We try not to lose focus and that’s not really something that we would have wanted for the game, but we came out on top.”
Inglewood defeated Irvine 34-21. Justyn noted how the team was well-coached and the Sentinels had to adjust.
“It was difficult because I never played against a team that really didn’t want us to pass like that,” he said. “I just knew that they were allowing us to run the ball, so we just kept doing what was working.”
Because of the health and safety protocols, teammates did not get an abundance of time to get to know each other prior to the beginning of the season. Getting to know new players was a challenge, but the Sentinels found ways to develop chemistry.
“We still hung out even if there wasn’t practice,” Fred said. “We did all types of activities together as a defensive unit.”
This season taught some players the importance of being patient and prepared.
“Just let everything fall in place because we [were] gonna have a season and COVID hit,” Hancox said. “I feel like just staying patient and let things happen when they happen.”
