There have been great wins and heartbreaking losses in Carlton Brewster's two seasons as head football coach at Kalamazoo Central, but the opportunities for the kids to make it to the next level have never been greater.
"I truly want for our kids to play at the next level, especially for the urban kids," Brewster said. "I let them know if you want to play college football these are things you have to do regardless you have to make sure you are attending school, you can't have any behavioral issues, you got to have good academics, you have to have a work ethic within that particular sport."
His message must be working. Currently ten players in the Maroon Giants program have offers to play college football including two that have offers from division one schools.
"This is unheard of for Kalamazoo Central," Brewster said. "The last kid who got a division one offer was in 2008. Cincear has nine of them and now Taahleak has one."
Cincer Lewis is a defensive back that will be a junior in the fall. His younger brother Taahleak will be a sophomore defensive end and recently picked up an offer from Toledo.
"Cincear Lewis has nine division one offers he opened up the gates for other kids to get looked at," Brewster said. "Cincear Lewis has nine offers now the question is what about the other guys? If we can't get Cincear Lewis, what about those other players? So we got players that is knocking on the door."
Nobody more so than Taahleak who is yet to play a varsity snap. His tape is from junior varsity ball last season.
"College coaches are looking at upside," Brewster said. "You see a ninth grader that is 6'3" 265 lbs., that is physical, in their eyes they are like this kids has three more years left, he's going to get bigger, he's going to get stronger so why not be able to offer this kid now."
Bewster estimates that are at least 20 kids in his program that have the ability to play college football at some level and he will do everything in his power to get them that opportunity.
