HOLLANDALE — Having enjoyed much play off success over the last four football seasons, four Simmons High School seniors now look to enjoy success on the college level after signing national letters of intent Friday.
Three of those seniors — Devontae Rush, Charles Mallard III and Amare Pam — will be reuniting with former Simmons High football coach, Tavares Johnson, at Mississippi Delta Community College.
Johnson led the Simmons Blue Devils to back-to-back 1A championship titles in 2015 and 2016.
Defensive end Antoine Washington will be joining head coach Todd Cooley and a Delta State University football program that finished 11-2 on the season with a Gulf South Conference Championship win to cap it off.
Mallard, who had an impressive senior season at corner and wideout, is looking forward to rejoining Johnson at MDCC as a Trojan.
When asked what sold him on his decision, he said, “One of the biggest reasons is that I feel like MDCC is the perfect environment for me.”
Linebacker Amare Pam shared Mallard’s sentiments, but he also highlighted how much he really likes the MDCC coaching staff as well.
Pam said Johnson can expect to see much of the same from him — “a hard working and dedicated player.”
Quarterback Devontae Rush said on his decision to sign with MDCC, “I’m reuniting with my old coach because we’ve got a lot of chemistry and I think we’re going to work from there.“
Rush also believes that Johnson can help him tremendously when it comes to his development for the next level.
Washington highlighted his fondness for the coaching at DSU and also his experience while there on a visit.
“I felt like he (Cooley) wanted me. I got to be on the sidelines with them before the game during my visit and I really enjoyed that,” he said. “I think he sees me as someone who could really rush the quarterback and as someone who can be developed into a better pass rusher.“
As far as the intangibles goes, Washington said Cooley can expect a player that’s coachable and holds himself to a higher standard.
Simmons High School football coach Derrick Hooker was “very proud” to see his now former players sign letters of intent.
“They earned it. They worked their butts off this summer and in the last eight or nine months I’ve been here, those guys have really worked every day, day in and day out and they really deserve this opportunity to go play on the next level,” said Hooker.
On the advice he gave his players when the time came to weigh their decision, “I told them it’s going to be a decision they’re going to have to make not for their mom, dad or anyone else because at the end, they’re going to be the ones that will have to deal with the circumstances.“
Hooker knows what will be required of his former players and he believes if they stick to the basics, they’ll go far, adding, “Most of all, they need to put God first and then everything else will take care of itself. If they just continue to use the discipline we’ve instilled in them, I know they’ll be fine.“
