THE ECHO

by Addy Bean

Friday night lights may be an outlet for fun and a step away from the stress of school for students in the stands, but for defensive lineman Fawzy Omotoso, these nights are what shape his future in football. 

In his fourth and final year of high school football, Omotoso is determined to cap off the season with a championship.  He said that the team has been locked in whether they are on the field or in the weight room. Omotoso said that he wants to turn things around for the football team. 

“I’m hoping to end the season with a championship, like a sectional championship, and hopefully we can get all the way to a state championship,” Omotoso said. 

Omotoso’s drive has only grown stronger after Avon’s win against Ben Davis on Aug. 31. The Orioles had several points on the board before their game was canceled due to lightning on Aug. 30. Despite the inconvenient setback, Omotoso’s team was able to come back stronger the next day and defeat the Giants 29-28. Omotoso said that the Oriole’s long overdue win against Ben Davis was his favorite game so far.  

“I feel like my entire team was locked in and we all knew what we had to do to get a win because we hadn’t beaten BD in a long time,” Omotoso said. 

With big wins against rivals comes excitement and interest from potential scouts. Omotoso was fortunate enough to be recognized by several colleges throughout his football career. He said it was unexpected and that he wasn’t familiar with the process until he received his first formal offer from Marshall University. 

“At first, I didn’t really understand the whole process and then one day I just got called out of class. I got confused because I thought I was in trouble. And then, I got sent down to the weight room and there was a Marshall coach there to see me and Enoch [Atewogbola]. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but then I realized that he was showing interest in us. We all talked for a bit, and he gave me my first offer,” Omotoso said. 

So far, Omotoso has visited five different colleges that have opened the horizon for his future football career. This list includes Marshall University, Northern Illinois University, Western Michigan University, Michigan State, and Purdue University. Omotoso said both his mental and physical dedication to football has blessed him with the opportunities to sculpt his future. 

“As Coach Gibson always says, ‘If you do everything right off the field, everything on the field will take care of itself,’” Omotoso said.