Celebrating the graduating athletes beginning a new chapter of their sports careers
May 11, 2023
Photo courtesy of Darrion Coleman
Managing the commitments of just one sport in high school can be taxing, not to mention two. That said, Darrion Coleman hopes to pursue both of his sports at the collegiate level next year.
At the beginning of spring this year, Coleman announced his commitment to play Division II football at Quincy University as a defensive lineman. But when he’s not found out on the grass fields, he can be found inside on the mats.
While Coleman has been playing football since third grade, when he entered high school, he decided that one sport wasn’t enough and picked up wrestling. Now, with four years of experience under his belt, Coleman plans to continue wrestling once he comes to Quincy.
“When I took my visit, I met somebody on the football team who’s also on the wrestling team at Quincy, so I’m gonna ask him if I can continue to compete, or [even] just practice, because I want to still do wrestling just for fun,” Coleman said.
Aside from just fun, wrestling has its benefits for a football player as well. Especially as a defensive player, the two sports have considerable overlap in terms of balance, agility and power. But for Coleman, the most significant commonality he noted was the mental game.
“[Both sports teach] mental toughness, because wrestling is a tough sport, [and] it’s really mental too, so I feel like it toughens my mental a little bit for football.”
Although Coleman will miss playing with his friends of several years under the Friday night lights, he looks forward to an exciting next chapter of his career, where Quincy University offered him the opportunity to start his freshman year, and he plans to make his mark. Coleman’s height and speed is going to add a different aspect to the Quincy defensive line with his ability to get off the ball with speed and power, allowing him to be a real problem for opposing tackles.
“I’m looking forward to winning the conference championship that my coach predicted that we might win,” Coleman said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
At 6-foot-7, Wildkits Forward Prince Adams has always been a basketball kid, but he never thought it would take him this far. Now, as he finishes his senior year of High School, he is committed to play next year for Southwestern Michigan College, reuniting with former Evanston star, Rashawn Bost. His hard work and loyalty to Evanston and the basketball program throughout the years will be paying off, and Adams is excited.
“I started playing basketball as a young kid, but I didn’t take it very seriously until 8th grade,” said Adams, “I played FAAM, the youth league for 6th-8th graders, and that’s when I started to get more into the game.”
Adams has always been a big kid, therefore many people have had high hopes for his career in basketball, and he truly put in the work throughout the years to get to the point he’s at now. Up until this year, Adams hadn’t taken as big of a role at ETHS, but his senior breakout season helped secure him his position at SMC.
“Playing at ETHS under their program has really prepared me for college, as well as helping me learn the skills I need to play at the next level of basketball,” he said.
Adams averaged around 15 points and 11 rebounds per game this season, while also being a defensive prowess, averaging 3 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. This spectacular play earned him a spot on the first team CSL-South All-Conference.
Though he is confident now, Prince did not always believe that this would be his path.
“I never expected it to make it as far as college playing basketball,” said Adams. “I hope for it to take me past college, but I’m also looking into a degree, that’s enough for me.”
Although SMC isn’t too far from Illinois, it is a completely new environment; but Adams is looking forward to it.
“I’m excited to meet new people at SMC, as well as using the new facilities they have added this year,” he said.
It’s a big jump, but Adams is ready.
With Adams being an Evanston resident since he was young, there is definitely going to be a lot for him to miss.
“I’m definitely going to miss the friends I’ve met and had here since I was young,” shared Adams. “I’m also going to miss playing basketball at Fleetwood. I grew up spending a lot of time there and met a lot of my current friends there.”
Evanston will always hold a place in Adams’ heart, and we wish him the best of luck on his new journey and the continuation of his career.
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