Four-time defending City Section Open Division football champion Birmingham High is going with 14-year-old freshman quarterback Daniel KaKooza to start the season.
Call it trial by fire.
“Welcome, here you go,” coach Jim Rose said.
The 5-foot-10 KaKooza shows promise with a good arm, but there are few other options for the Patriots. Their All-City quarterback from last season, Kingston Tisdell, transferred to Inglewood. Another quarterback, El Camino Real transfer Kevin Hawkins, won’t be eligible until the sit-out period ends on Sept. 27.
So far, Birmingham has only eight games on its schedule and has been unable to find two additional nonleague opponents, so the Patriots are scheduled to open against St. Bonaventure in week 1 on Aug. 30.
Rose believes his team will be ready to go by playoff time but lots of young players will need to gain experience. Meanwhile, the team will be relying on five veterans: Running back Dredon Fowles, linebacker Eddie Plaza, receiver-defensive back Antrell Harris, defensive end Andy Bailon and lineman Senituli Taufahema.
“I’m happy to lead the team,” Plaza said.
Plaza said he has a tweet posted on a wall at home about how this team is supposed to be the weakest Birmingham team in recent years. He’s motivated to prove everyone wrong.
“It’s going to be a show,” he said.
Rose is going to have another busy fall also coaching the defending City champion girls’ flag football team. He said more than 50 students tried out for this year’s team.
Notes . . .
Forrest Brock, who was the starting quarterback during Birmingham’s pandemic season in the spring of 2021, is supposed to be the starting quarterback at Temple.
Junior Lawrence Kensinger of Venice, the City Section champion in the shot put, is going to be used at linebacker and tight end this season for the Gondoliers. His brother attends Air Force and his sister is a top volleyball player at Arizona State.
St. John Bosco junior cornerback Joshua Holland announced his commitment to USC. The Trojans also have commitments from two other Class of 2026 cornerbacks in Brandon Lockhart from Loyola and Madden Riordan from Sierra Canyon.