LANTANA – It was supposed to be a breakout opportunity tonight (Aug. 19) for Phillip Grant.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his Santaluces Chiefs football team will not be able to play in their kickoff classic game against Inlet Grove, which was set to be held at John I. Leonard High School for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.

Santaluces will have to wait until at least next week to show the masses what it has in store for the upcoming fall season.

“I’m bummed out because I was training so hard to prove that I’m one of the best players in Palm Beach,” the 5-foot-11, 190-pound athlete said. “I have been hitting the weight room after practice and all.”

What will Grant do later today in lieu of the kickoff classic cancellation?

“I will be focusing on letting my body recover by doing yoga,” he said. “I will do a pool workout that consists of swimming back-to-back and water sprints with the ball thrown to me.”

Grant wants to improve on his junior campaign, which resulted in him getting 20 total tackles (15 solo, five assisted), 10 blocks, and three sacks in an abbreviated five-game season in 2020.

And in the spring game at King’s Academy, Grant registered five tackles, three pass deflections, and two blocks.

Between his junior season and the spring game, Grant has not allowed any catches.

With that said, the summer months have been promising for Grant in a sense.

The Santaluces senior athlete had a solid summer camp experience at FIU and Keiser, to name just two exposure opportunities he took part in.

As a result of his junior season, spring game, and summer outings, Grant has garnered interest from the likes of Columbia, Cornell, Ithaca, Sewanee, Bowdoin, and Fitchburg State.

“What helped me get better over the summer was working out with my personal trainer Henry Colombi,” he said. “My summer team workouts also really helped me and my team out a lot.”

Grant had more to say about Colombi.

“Me and Coach Colombi have a close relationship,” he said. “We can call each other whenever we need help from one another. Once I started training with Coach Colombi, my skill level was raised tremendously…He is a good mentor and gives great advice.”

The next opportunity to shine for Grant and his teammates will likely be in Week 1, when Santaluces will be on the road at Seminole Ridge on Friday, Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m.