As senior football season fades, Toa Atuatasi and Lailah Rojas reflect on what football taught them about who they want to be next.
As the senior football season winds down, two Armijo High athletes, Toa Atuatasi and Lailah Rojas, are facing the same challenge that every high school player eventually meets: the ending of one chapter, and the uncertainty of whatever comes next.
For years, football has shaped both of their lives, though in very different ways. Toa has been playing tackle football for about 11 years. Lailah, on the other hand, just finished her first season of flag football. Both found something in the sport that changed them, even as they leave it all behind.
Football still dominates American high schools. Around a million boys played tackle football last year, with California producing nearly 90,000 of those players. While tackle numbers have slipped over the past two decades, girls’ flag football has exploded in growth. Between 2023 and 2024, participation nearly doubled nationwide, and California led much of that ride. The game is evolving, opening up new space for athletes like Lailah.
For Toa, the story started early. He remembers watching his older brother play and wanting to do the same. “When I first saw my older brother playing, I knew I wanted to be there playing too,” he states. What began as imitation turned into identity.
Toa Atuatasi (#24) listens as his coach talks him through his previous play while he’s on the sidelines. The senior linebacker stands locked in as his teammates gather around, ready to return to the field.
Eleven years later, the game has defined him. “Football has made my school life a bit hard,” he admitted, “but with a few scholarships coming my way due to football, it makes it all worth it.” The long practices, the losses, the early mornings; they all built something more permanent than wins. “Football has made me a more disciplined and dedicated person,” he said.
This season hasn’t been perfect. The team lost to Eddison, a game that still sticks with him. “Eddison was definitely a tough school to play against. We really did try our best, but we fell short,” he stated. Still, the moments that matter most aren’t always tied to the scoreboard. “After I make a big play, I hear my parents cheering me on,” he remarked. “That makes me really proud.”
As graduation nears, Toa is thinking about the future. He knows that college football isn’t guaranteed, but he’s determined. “I’m making it to college no matter what,” he declared. “I want to prove to myself and everyone that I belong there.” For him, football taught more than competition; it taught resilience as well. “While things might hurt now, once I push through it, it always gets better,” he said. “Every time.”
Toa (#24) raises his hand in victory after a major stop against Eddison. The play came early in the second quarter and helped swing momentum toward the Royals. Even in a tough matchup, Toa said it’s moments like these that remind him why he plays the game.
Lailah’s story starts somewhere completely different. This was her first season of flag football, a sport she didn’t even know she’d have the chance to play. “I always played football with my older brother and other boys growing up,” she explained. “I never thought it would become a sport, but when it did, it caught my eye.”
It didn’t take long for her to realize she belonged on the field. “After my first game as a wide receiver, I scored a touchdown,” she beamed. “For a week after that, I assumed it was just luck, but it kept happening.” Her confidence grew with every catch and sprint down the sideline.
She remembers one play against Valley High School in particular, catching the ball and running thirty yards while three defenders chased her. The plays didn’t stop there; at her game against Burbank, she made two touchdowns in the same night. “I didn’t know I was going to catch the ball,” she said. “That’s a big thing in football; always be ready for the ball.”
“I didn’t know I was going to catch the ball,” Lailah states. She has no clue the ball is even coming, “but when it did, I was prepared.” The senior wide receiver makes the catch for a touchdown, a huge moment in the game.
The game changed how she sees herself. “Playing football somehow made my grades better,” she commented. “It gave me the motivation I needed to keep them up.” She also said the team culture taught her respect. “We don’t cuss or trash-talk. We don’t even celebrate the win until they leave our field because we know what it feels like to lose, too.”
This first season may also be her last, though she’s open to playing in college. “I would like to; it’s definitely something I’m interested in.” She continued, “But if not, it’s not going to be the end of the world. I had fun while it lasted.”
Lailah Rojas (#7) finds an opening against the defense during her match against Burbank. The student-athlete keeps her eyes forward, finding space to move the ball downfield.
Both Toa and Lailah talk about football as something that taught them how to keep going. Toa learned endurance through pain and long seasons. Lailah learned confidence and composure through the ups and downs of a brand-new sport.
When asked what he wants people to remember about him, Toa’s answer was simple: “I really hope that people remember me after I graduate.” Lailah’s takeaway is more internal. “When it comes to confidence and composure, it’s harder to keep than it looks,” she admitted. “But, once you find them again, you play better.”
For both of them, football, whether tackle or flag, showed them that the lessons on the field don’t end with the season. They’re lessons about showing up, pushing through, and finding something worth holding onto when the game’s over.
