On Friday, October 18, when Columbia High School welcomes back alumni for Homecoming weekend, this year’s Homecoming Game also will serve as Senior night for the CHS Football Cougars with the Seniors on the team reflecting on their years as Cougars.
Coaches and players report that Senior night is not only a time to honor the Seniors, and the heart and strength they have shown to their teammates and on the field for the last few years, but also creates an opportunity for younger players to consider their futures on the team, what motivates them to play and what they hope to accomplish in their subsequent years as Cougars before they get to walk through that team arch to be honored as a Senior themselves.
Freshman Finley Fils-Aime said he hopes to keep playing with his freshman teammates for the rest of his years at CHS and “end as Conference champs” by his Senior year. O-Lineman Ola Osawe will be a Senior next year but this has been his first year playing. “The highlight of my season so far was getting my helmet, because I never got to play contact before and it was exciting just to get my first helmet.”
The Cougars condition and train all year but they kickoff formal practices in the hot summer mornings. Junior Linebacker Treshan Naidoo is playing for the first time this year and loves the hard work. “My favorite part of the practice and the prep is the spider drills. It was my first experience of contact and I loved it.”
The Cougars have endured a challenging season thus far but they are moving forward, learning, and growing as a team. They have endured unfortunate injuries amongst Varsity starters this season, which has created an opportunity for growth for some of the younger players to advance.
Sophomore JV player Kasper Schmeidl got a chance to play at QB on Varsity at the Livingston Varsity game last week. Schmeidl said it was the highlight of the season for him so far. “It was awesome getting out there with some of the guys who had more experience. I’m looking forward to taking on a leadership role with some of these guys in the next couple of years.”
Juniors Hans Archer and Melvin Latham agreed that the season opener against Newark West Side was their current highlight of the season. Hans noted, “We worked so hard all summer and that win made it feel like all that hard work really paid off.” After their first win against Newark West Side, they have had losses but battled through with some amazing plays on both sides of the ball and are fully charged to keep playing and fighting out on that field for the next few games.
As CHS celebrates 2024 Homecoming this weekend, the Football Cougars have been celebrating a homecoming of players on our field for a few years now.
Three of the coaches are CHS Football Alums.
Coach Olajawon Saloko graduated CHS in 2013 and returned in the 2022 season to coach the defensive line. We asked what made him want to come back and coach at CHS. “I understand these kids. I walked these halls. I love it here and I wanted to give back. A lot of people helped me here along the way and I wanted to do the same.” In addition to coaching, Saloko is also a history teacher in Linden. His two former teammates once again share the sideline with him.
Coach Enosh Motachwa (CHS Class of 2014) was a 4-years Varsity starter on Oline and as a linebacker. He returned this year as the freshman coach. “I have a passion for coaching and wanted to give back to the community I came from. The biggest challenge is that we are coaching from scratch. Most of the kids have never had tackle experience before, but it’s a good challenge for us coaches.” In addition to coaching he is a substitute in the district.
Coach Eriq Royal (Class of 2014) is a defensive back and receiver coach. “I always wanted to coach. In fact, me and Coach Enosh have remained good friends since our days at CHS and we always talked about coming back here to coach. It is a privilege that we get to do it together.” He acknowledges that not having a contact football feeder program creates a challenge, but, “There is a lot of raw talent here and watching their progress is exciting. I love the different characters on the team and it’s a joy to work with them.”
While their football experience forged a lasting friendship on and off the field for their coaches, the senior players reflected on how meaningful the friendships they have developed on the team have been for them as well.
Senior Andrew Randazza says he always wanted to play football and was excited to play tackle after playing flag in middle school. He has been a star on the field as Receiver, Corner, and sometimes QB this season. When asked what has been the greatest help to him on the field, he says, “Its my friends. They make me want to come back everyday. I will miss the feeling of accomplishment I get after a game as well.”
Similarly, his Senior teammate Will Walsh says, “I think I will miss having the friends and brothers for life that football brings, and not being able to play with them again is going to be hard to face. Plus, the rush of adrenaline you get when you are out there is irreplaceable.” He was most grateful to Coach Mobley and Coach Olojawon for motivating him to be the best he could be.
Senior Andrew Robinson had a story to tell. Fifteen minutes into his senior season he broke his arm and, as he says it, “finished the first chapter of my football life.” Despite that he is able to look at his high school football career recognizing that he had achieved what he set out to achieve. He went from “an overweight, shy kid to being identified by (my) position”.
“When consoling me after my injury, my coach told me, ‘You are a linebacker’, a position defined by strength, conditioning, and leadership.” Andrew said he went into football because he needed a greater purpose. Teammates, parents, and coaches gave him something to strive for and to be great at. He aimed to become a linebacker and he did, but as he says, “that singular mindset has spread to other aspects of my life such as school where I now strive for excellence in the hope to bring honor to the people that matter to me.”
He also recognizes that his football experiences expanded his understanding of others and of friendships. “I feel a brotherhood with one of my teammates who I may not even share a lot of interests with.” Andrew reflected, as did many of the players interviewed, that when one of them didn’t want to get up and run or lift or push, they did it for each other, knowing the other would keep pushing himself as well. It is the appreciation of relationships like these and one forged with his Linebacker Coach Kendall Ashford that he feels changed his life for the better: “I can simply say that having a complete stranger see what it often feels like only you can see in yourself, has changed my being for the rest of my life.”
As the Seniors and their families gather to celebrate their accomplishments, they certainly hope the whole CHS community will join them and will welcome home all of the alumni and celebrate the community — past, present, and future.
Join the CHS Football Cougars on Friday, October 18 to celebrate the Seniors at 5:30 pm and for game kickoff at 630pm at the Underhill Sports Complex “Under the Lights!!” All are welcome.
