BALTIMORE — Digital Harbor High School has made history.
The football team went from not having enough equipment at the beginning of the season to winning the first round of the playoffs ever since the start of the program.
In August, the coaches at the high school realized they had a problem, they had over 80 players and not enough helmets or equipment for the whole team.
With the help of GoFundMe, they were able to get the money to buy the equipment.
“I never had that support from any community from any school that I went to, so it really is a different feeling. It feels great," says Abasi Clinton.
With the new equipment the team was able to make it to the playoffs this season and win the first round, something the Digital Harbor High School football team has never accomplished.
Craig Rollins, the head coach, says he saw the team change during the season.
“They had to grow through adversity just from where they were coming from, and they learned how to fight at the end of the season. They learned how to fight as a team. That was the most important thing," says Coach Rollins.
And the players agree, some saying the team this year was stronger than previous seasons.
“It’s a brotherhood here; we’re strong on that. We might start off weak, we always have our ups and downs, but at the end of the day we always have each other’s backs," says Kenard Eubanks.
Mahki West, a senior, says the team's accomplishments this season sparked a change in the football program going forward.
“Like, with the new guys that [are] going to come in, they [saw] what we did, they’re going to feel inspired. I feel like the returning players are going to have more confidence going into the second round next year and round after that," says Makhi West.
Alphonso Wise says now, since the new coaching staff has completed a full season, they are prepared to take the team further next season.
“I definitely would say the sky is the limit for us. We definitely have the talent in the building we just have to perform," he says.
The team lost in the second round of the playoffs so the season is over, but the next season kicks off with practice starting the second week of August in 2025.
