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Apaches
Make the Playoffs!
First time
in more than 30 years the team has gotten this close to the Pioneer
League top spot
By
Cheryl Scott
Bulletin
Staff Writer
The
Centennial Apaches have always been tough. But under the tutelage
of Coach Aaron Carver, over the last three years the team has learned
to play smart — and it has made all the difference in the world.
For the first time in more than 30 years, the team has made the Pioneer
League playoffs.
“Before, the players were undisciplined, and that kept them from
functioning as an efficient team,” Carver told The Bulletin. “Now
they have become committed players, they show up every day at practice.
They
keep their grades up. And they’ve learned that they can do it.”
The can-do attitude is one of the biggest reasons the team has turned
around, according to the coach. “For years, they were told they couldn’t
learn to function with discipline and purpose, and they believed it. When
I first came to the school, there were people who said that these kids
could not learn new ways, that they came from the streets and would never
change. They weren’t trying to be unkind. They were just telling
it like it is according to their way of thinking.”
The team got into the playoffs with a 50-24 win three weeks ago against
Lawndale. Two weeks ago they won the first round of the playoffs with a
14-12 win against Baldwin Park.
“Last year we missed the playoffs by one game,” said Carver. “But
that was better than we had done the year before. We lost all our
games. The first year I was here, we pieced together a team and managed
to win
one game. But we had young players, and I told them that it might
take some time, but that we were going to be disciplined and work hard
and it
would pay off. This year it has.”
The team has become known for its smart brand of play. “They are
outsmarting the other teams,” said Carver. “Everyone already
knew they are individually great athletes and that they are tough and strong.
But now they have mental toughness to add to that.”
Half of the team members are seniors. Quarterback Chris Smith is
the team leader. “Here’s a kid who went to Cleveland High in
San Fernando Valley because he wanted to play football. He made first team
all-league as a sophomore and as a junior. But he’s come back to
us.
“He makes smart moves. At first he was just a great athlete. Now
he calls his own plays, which is very unusual.”
Wide receiver Robert Hatchett, another senior, is “one of the most
dangerous players in the CIF,” according to Carver. “He plays
defensive and offensive. He can play quarterback. He’s an all around
great player and can do whatever is needed in any situation.”
Defensive end J’son Johnson is considered one of the best all-around
players in the league. “He is a hi-energy guy,” the coach said. “He
always gives 100 percent. He’s always all over the place, and he
never complains. Whatever we need him to do, he does it even if it puts
him out of his comfort zone. He’s a real team player and leads by
example.”
Defensive back and wide receiver Theron West is new on the team. “He’s
great on defense and offense. He has really come on strong. He’s
very versatile and can play any position including quarterback. But he’s
found his niche in defense as a corner back. He was definitely the MVP
of the fist playoff game.”
Carver came to the team with two valuable assets: 10 years in the
pros with teams like the Miami Dolphins, the Denver Broncos, the San Diego
Chargers and the New Orleans Saints; and an early background in the street
life in Compton.
“When I was younger I was a troublemaker,” he said. “I
got into my share of trouble and led the life. It got me into jail more
than once.
The last time I came out, I swore that I would change my life, and
I knew that one day down the line I would come back to Compton and do something
to help my community.”
Football got Carver out of the street life. He attended Compton High
School, where he ran track. He went on to El Camino and Fresno State, where
he played football.
He came home to Compton when his pro career came to an end. “I was
interviewing for the coach position at Compton High School,” he said. “There
were several really qualified candidates. But no one wanted to go to Centennial.
So I asked for that position and got it.”
Carver says that as satisfying as it is to see his coaching effort
pay off for the players, he is more gratified by the difference success
on the football field will make in the future lives of the players.
“I know all of them will go to college,” he said. “They
have matured tremendously and they have learned that hard work and discipline
can bring great results and get them respect from everyone they come
in
contact with. Some of them will probably get scholarships and that’s
great. But the best thing is that I’m confident that they will all
get to college and put their lives on a positive track.”
The playoff series consists of four games. “When you lose, you’re
out,” said Carver. At press time the team was going into their third
playoff game, against Nordhoff from Ojai, which was to be played
at home. A win would get them into the championship game the following
week.
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