The Inglewood Sentinel football team had 14 student athletes announce their intent to attend colleges on athletic scholarship. This is the largest group of seniors to sign since Mil’Von James took the helm of the program.
“They actually did above and beyond academically, these are all three point and above students,” James said. “They committed to the football field, they committed to the weight room, so it’s just a testament to how hard they work at every facet of their high school career.”
The Sentinels had a 13-1 overall record and a 5-0 Ocean League record. They became Ocean League champions and reached the division II Southern Section Championship. Senior cornerback Makhi Connor signed with Campbell University. He noted how signing with Campbell is a blessing.
“If you want it hard enough, you’re gonna go get it,” Connor said. “Every day, I wake up, go to practice. Sometimes I might not have a smile on my face but sometimes I say we get one percent better every day.”
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Luke Bledsoe and Dane Reed will be going with Connor to Campbell. Senior wide receiver Bryce Parker signed with Utah Tech; he mentioned how the program provided a “family environment.”
“They loved me ever since I’ve been on campus in June,” Parker said. “Some of these other colleges, they would talk to me but then they would ghost but Utah Tech, they stayed in my life.”
Defensive tackle Jason Roberts II and safety Justin Johnson signed with the Fresno State Bulldogs. A key lesson that Roberts II learned while at Inglewood was how to push himself.
“I really learned my limits and how to surpass that and overcoming adversity,” Roberts II said. “It’s exciting to continue to be able to play football as well as getting a free education. This is only my first year of playing football.”
One of the reasons why defensive end Kenyon Agurs chose Colorado State was because the environment is like his home state Michigan.
“It’s very isolated and I really like it out there,” Agurs said. “The cold weather, I’m used to it, it’s no problem for me.”
Amir Garrison and Moin Gammage will be attending Shorter University. Tight end Jamari Johnson announced during the All-American Bowl that he will be attending Louisville. His teammate Kevin Longstreet will also be competing with the Cardinals.
Cornerback Jonah Lewis will be competing for the Nevada Wolfpack in the fall. Cornerback Jaden DaCosta signed with Portland State.
Key advice that James would give to seniors who are going to play college football is to manage their time wisely and focus on what is motivating them to compete.
“When you know what you’re doing it for, you get the most out of everything,” James said. “The collegiate chapter for your life is all about what you want of it. If you want to be great, put yourself to it.”
