GREENACRES – Keith Chattin has been putting in a lot of work for his players.
The John I. Leonard Lancers head coach witnessed the fruits of his labor on Wednesday, as four seniors signed their letters of intent (LOI’s) to various colleges.
The highest profile move came from quarterback Jadiel Cruz, who inked with St. Thomas, a fledgling NAIA program in Miami. Cruz finished this past season as our No. 3-ranked QB and No. 51 overall player.
Joining Cruz at St. Thomas will be wide receiver Jonel Dieujuste, who was arguably the most productive skill position senior on the team. The Cruz-Dieujuste connection was special on the high school football level and has lots of potential to continue being so on the college level.
Meanwhile, we have two Lancers from the Muck who signed their LOI’s to different places.
Wide receiver Ahmad Orange, who is from Belle Glade, went with Arkansas Baptist College. And linebacker Robert Curtis, who is from Pahokee, will play on the next level at Kentucky Christian.
“We just wanted to make sure they got to a good spot,” Chattin said.
“We want to make sure they’re living their dream,” the John I. Leonard head coach continued. “We asked them when I got here, ‘How much do you want to play college football?’ Of course every kid said they would want to play college football. So we set up a plan for them. We got them into the weight room and the film room. We got them a lot of practice time in the summer. They put up enough stats – enough academic stats – to make sure they could get into college.”
Chattin raved about Cruz and his ability to triumph over a set of challenges along the way.
“He’s always had to overcome the height and weight issue at the quarterback position,” Chattin said of Cruz, who is listed at 5-foot-8, 180 pounds. “Everybody said he couldn’t throw, he was too slow. But he was our team leader and our team MVP. He’s a great kid. He leads everybody by example. He’s not real vocal, but he galvanized everyone by his example. He’s done a great job for us. I’m really proud of him.”
Cruz spoke on the realization of signing with his teammates at John I. Leonard.
“It was just a dream since our freshman year,” Cruz said. “We always talked about it together. Now we turned it into reality.”
Cruz spoke about Chattin’s impact on his growth and development.
“He’s like a father figure to me,” Cruz said. “He’s always been there for me. He’s still there for me. I know down the road, he will still be. I’m just pleased to know I have that relationship with him.”
Dieujuste on Chattin:
“He’s a great coach,” Dieujuste said. “He put me in a position to get better. I really respect him for that.”
Curtis reflected on his own high school football journey, which was supported by Chattin and others.
“It’s an unexplainable feeling,” Curtis said. “They got me through the process on and off the field. My teammates…I will always love them to death.”
Meanwhile, Orange touched on how the signing ceremony went at John I. Leonard.
“It was kind of hard,” said Orange, who was with his mother right after the ceremony. “It hit me in the chest. It was hard to talk in front of all these people about me committing. But it’s going to get better now.”
Chattin provided a final word on their collective contributions to John I. Leonard’s football program.
“I’m just so proud of them,” Chattin said. “When we took over this program, it was beyond bad. Everyone said this moniker, “If you go to John I., you can’t go to college. You can’t win games’. But they hung in there, even though the negativity was out their for around them. We’re on the way up. We’re going to be a good football program, and they’re a big reason why we’ll win games next season.”
NOTES: John I. Leonard senior cornerback Demetrius Williams announced on his Twitter page that he pledged his commitment to Kentucky Christian. If everything holds, then Williams will be playing college football with Curtis for the Knights.
Lancers linebacker Kenneth Charles has not revealed where his next destination will be at yet. Expect his final decision to be announced in the not-too-distant future.
