Mather senior Destiny Ogbomo looked over at the sideline shortly before kickoff and promised to put on a show. Then he delivered.
Mather senior Destiny Ogbomo looked over at the sideline shortly before kickoff and promised to put on a show. Then he delivered.
Ogbomo has been quite the entertainer so far this season. He had a 62-yard touchdown run against Prosser and a 57-yard touchdown run against UP-Englewood. The he outdid both of those in the Rangers’ 46-6 win against Schurz on Thursday at Lane Stadium.
Ogbomo ripped off a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the third quarter. He finished with 79 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 11 carries and chipped in on defense with a sack and two fumble recoveries. He’s confident and vocal on the field and clearly on a mission.
“I told my mom that I want to go to college,” Ogbomo said. “I’ve been playing this sport since I was six. I promised her I would go to college. I’m trying to take this to the next level. I need this. This sport is my only way.”
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Ogbomo says he isn’t receiving any interest from colleges yet, but it isn’t because he’s shy.
“I reach out to coaches on Twitter but they don’t really reply,” Ogbomo said. “I love the sport so much. I’m just trying to get coaches to watch me. They aren’t watching me. I have to show them I’m somebody.”
Mather coach Yanko Jordanof says Ogbomo is working on becoming an academic qualifier.
“I’ll help him wherever possible but he has to help himself,” Jordanof said. “There are a lot of kids who could have played places but they didn’t because they didn’t take care of what they need to take care of.”
Ogbomo isn’t the only talented running back at Mather (3-0). Senior Westyn Simmons had 19 carries for 149 yards and one touchdown. He also caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Rangers’ quarterback Sacchi Edouard.
Simmons and Ogbomo are both four-year varsity players. Last year Mather started 2-0 but then finished 2-7.
“We [crapped] the bed,” Jordanof, who was an assistant coach at Mather last season, said. “We are a little better this year, I little more focused. We will see. We play in a tough conference.”
Sacchi Edouard finds Westyn Simmons for a 22-yd TD pass as time expires in the first half. It’s been all Mather so far. The Rangers lead Schurz 22-0. pic.twitter.com/437JlYRo9M
— Michael O'Brien (@michaelsobrien) September 12, 2019
Simmons is confident that the Rangers can make a run this season.
“The connection is different this season,” Simmons said. “The chemistry is just there. Everyone is communicating all the time, the blocks are there. You can feel it out there on the field.”
Schurz (1-2) was limited to just 38 yards on offense in the first half. The Bulldogs opened up the passing game in the third quarter and quarterback Miguel Cuevas connected with Anthony Williams on a 60-yard completion and then Armonte Bronson on a 23-yard touchdown pass.
But that was all Schurz would manage. Ogbomo’s kick-return touchdown followed and the 40-point running clock began.
“We keep it simple,” Jordanof said. “We run two or three plays, the linemen know how to block those plays and the kids buy in. They’ve all worked hard.”
