Sondheimer: Coach Elijah Asante has Hamilton football on the path to success

For more than 60 seconds, Hamilton High football players, dressed in suits and ties, bowed their heads in the middle of the Fairfax football field and stayed silent, some in prayer. They were honoring someone none of them knew — Christian Garcia, a 16-year-old junior varsity football player from South East who died last week after suffering an injury on Aug. 23 in a junior varsity game against Maywood CES.

"The purpose of us doing that is we are family," coach Elijah Asante told his players in the locker room afterward. "We like to compete, we want to win but when a kid falls from another school, we should feel that, too, and that's what you were paying tribute to. We always have to show class."

When coaches are making a difference, it's not always seen on a scoreboard despite the obsession with winning.

Just seeing Hamilton players walk from their bus carrying helmets and backpacks and looking like they are headed to church because of the way they are dressed in suits and ties sends a clear message in a day and age when shorts and T-shirts are sometimes acceptable to wear at work.

"It's being professional," said Hamilton senior Nicholas Jacobo, who had to go with his uncle to buy his first suit and first tie.

In education-based high school sports, what's happening at Hamilton deserves attention and praise. Asante, who previously coached at L.A. Jordan, Carson, Compton and St. Paul, had been retired since 2018. He agreed to take over the Hamilton program one week before the official start of practice at the end of July.

"I couldn't say no," Asante said.

Asante didn't even have keys to open school gates or doors that first week. He borrowed some from the athletic director. He went to work starting with basic fundamentals, teaching tackling, stretching, conditioning, discipline, tying a tie. Everything was about developing good habits not just for playing football but for life as an adult.

Asante used to show up at games as the best dressed in a stadium with his suit and tie. His players now look the same until changing into their uniforms. Parents from other teams look surprised when they see Hamilton players in formal attire.

"Oh my God, you guys always wear a suit and tie to games?" a Fairfax parent asked a Hamilton player.

"Yes ma'am," the player replied.

"I'm bringing my son to Hamilton."

Hamilton lost its season opener to St. Monica 49-8, then won its next game against Manual Arts 12-6. It somehow was leading Crenshaw 6-0 in the fourth quarter last week after a desperation fourth-down 21-yard touchdown pass from Jacobo to sophomore Jacob Riley.

Crenshaw rallied for a late touchdown and two-point conversion to win 8-6. The Cougars have their own challenges with only 20 players dressed to play. Hamilton, which produced NFL great Warren Moon, and Crenshaw, the school of De'Anthony Thomas, are nowhere near their glory days of the past in City Section football.

And yet, coaches are committed to teaching them about football and life, and maybe it will make a difference.

"Winning doesn't create our culture," Asante said. "Our culture creates winning."

Hamilton has mostly sophomores and juniors. Players are making progress considering they've come from the bottom not knowing who would be their coach last summer with no workouts.

"I was thinking we weren't going to have a coach," Jacobo said.

Asante returned to teach accountability, responsibility and old-school values. That can lead to winning and championships.

The team could end up in Division II or III and make a title run. The school is also building a new stadium complex expected to be completed next year.

The kids and the coach are certainly dressed for success.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.