Tymon Wells’ heart will be heavy this fall, but he said he will suit up each game and do the best that he can for his fallen friend, Courtney ‘CJ’ Miles.
Wells and the rest of his Simmons players lost Miles in May when Miles was shot and killed by a drive by shooter at his home in Arcola. He was 15. A 20-year-old Cleveland man has been arrested for the murder, but that does not mean closure for those who knew and loved C.J. The Blue Devils will never forget their young friend.
“C.J.’s death has affected the entire team heavily,” said Wells. “All of us were playing together since we were young. We all started this together, and it is going to hurt us not to finish with him. He had a strong passion for football and life.”
Fifteen-year-old Amare Pam, a linebacker, also misses his friend and teammate.
“I think of C.J. all the time,” Pam said. “There was no one like him. He was so funny, and he was always making us laugh. He was a one-of-a-kind individual, and we will always miss him.”
Blue Devil football players, like Wells and Pam, say they are going to honor C.J.’s memory by working as hard as they can for him, both in the classroom and on the football field.
Leading the young Hollandale athletes during this tough time has been head football coach Tavares Johnson. Johnson is back for his second stint at the helm of the Blue Devils. He led Simmons to a pair of football state championships in 2015 and 2016. Johnson left in 2016 to take over at North Side High School. Johnson has now been hired by the Hollandale School District as its director of operations.
The death of C.J. has affected Johnson as well.
“I knew C.J. from my first time around as assistant principal, and he was in the fifth and sixth. Then, I got to know him a little bit this spring, and my heart just aches for him and his family,” Coach Johnson said.
Johnson takes over the position from Jeremy Packer, who leaves the role after just one season. In an abbreviated season due to COVID, the Blue Devils finished 4-1 in 2020.
Johnson graduated from East Side High School in Cleveland, and later went on to play linebacker at Alcorn State University. At Alcorn State, he was teammates with legendary quarterback Steve McNair.
After college, Johnson spent 11 years in the Navy before becoming a high school teacher and coach.
Johnson said he believes the rebuilding process should not take long this time around.
“I think we have enough to be competitive. My philosophy is that we should always get the best out of our student athletes. The talent is always here in Hollandale. We can be good as we want to be,” he said.
Along with Wells and Pam, other talented Blue Devils expected to play key roles this season are brothers Davontae and Vontrez Rush, two of the most explosive players in the Delta, linebacker Eddie George and wide receiver Prentavis Madison.
“I am going to enjoy the moment and enjoy my senior year,” Wells said. “Throughout my high school years, it seems like we have a new coach every year. And that is not easy. With every new coach comes lots of change. It is difficult adapting to a different environment.
“But we definitely want to get the gold ball this year. All the doubters and nay sayers who don’t think we have any talent left are going to be proven wrong. Under our new coach, we are going to get it done.”
