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Jan. 20—ATLANTA — One could barely turn around at the media day for College Football Playoff National Championship Game without running into a player from southwest Ohio.
“One hundred percent I could definitely see myself playing here some day,” said C.J. Hicks, a junior reserve linebacker for Ohio State. “Going to Alter, playing for Coach (Ed) Domsitz, competing at the program there definitely helped me become who I am now.”
Tegra Tshabola, a third-year offensive lineman at Ohio State who started at right guard for the Buckeyes this season, called making it to the final something he dreamed about his whole life.
“So now it’s a dream come true,” said Tshabola, who has frequently shared the field with Austin Siereveld, a redshirt freshman from Lakota East.
“He’s my guy,” Tshabola said. “We might joke around a little bit here and there but that’s my guy.”
While Tshabola is one of five Lakota West grads to be on one of the two rosters, Siereveld was proud to be the first East grad to earn a football scholarship from Ohio State.
“It feels awesome,” Siereveld said. “When I committed to Ohio State, I had this in mind about playing for a national championship, so it’s a pretty cool feeling.”
The other Lakota West players are all defensive backs: Ohio State’s Malik Hartford and Bukari Miles and Ben Minich and Taebron Bennie-Powell of Notre Dame.
They all credited the influence of Lakota West coach Tom Bolden for establishing a program that regularly sends players to the highest levels of college football.
“I think that Lakota West is just a great program,” said Hartford, a sophomore safety. “It teaches people how to be young men. Coach Bolden is great at teaching young boys to be young men, and Lakota West hardens you so when you come up here you can play.”
Hartford is primarily a special-teamer who figures to be on the field…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/area-high-school-grads-revel-151000849.html
Author : Dayton Daily News, Ohio
Publish date : 2025-01-20 15:10:00
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