The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THEY came together as a package and with the addition of Charles Joseph, Jaden Strachan, Emaniel Alexandre and Saheed Sanusi will be leaving CI Gibson as a combo to continue their education at Northeast Community College.

After making their presence felt for the Rattlers’ senior boys basketball team at CI Gibson over the past two-three years, the four 2021 graduates have secured athletic scholarships for the Hawks at NECC and will be leaving for Norfolk, Nebraska in August.

“We had an opportunity to travel during the pandemic under the right protocol and these opportunities came about for them to get their scholarships,” said Rattlers’ head coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson.

“I had a few junior colleges recruiting them out of Nebraska, Colorado and Tennessee. Northeast became available after their coach said he was losing all of his sophomores and he liked my players and he would be able to offer them the scholarships.”

The four 18-year-olds collaborated and agreed that it would be a good idea to stick together to help each and push each other. The rest, as they say, was history.

“It’s very important to give our young men the opportunity to go off and play the game they love and get a scholarship,” Johnson said. “Opportunities like this don’t come along too often. When it does, you have to take full advantage of it.

“Hopefully they would understand the importance of being student-athletes. I want them to put God first in everything they do and go for it. I want to graduate with their associate degree and then move on and get their bachelors degree through basketball.”

As a former collegiate basketball player, Johnson said it won’t be easy for the quartet, but once they are determined and have the perseverance, they can achieve their goals.

Joseph, a 6-foot, 7-inch centre, thanked God for the opportunity to live out a childhood dream of playing college basketball.

“It’s unbelievable,” he stated. “I’m still trying to get over it. I’m really happy and I appreciate all that coach Johnson did for me. When I first came here, it wasn’t easy.

“I had to make a lot of adjustments. Coach helped me to get in shape and to understand the game a lot better. I was even more focused on school. I came here and got my grades up and I turned out to be a better student-athlete.”

Joseph, who hopes to pursue a degree in sports management, is the son of Carlette Rolle and Charles Joseph. He said the other three players are like brothers.

“Not everyone gets a chance. This is a good group of guys,” Joseph said. “I love these guys. I feel good going to school with my brothers. All of us can succeed and push each other.”

For Strachan, he could not help, but thank God for blessing him with the opportunity, but he admitted that the hard work under coach Johnson over the past three years has finally paid off.

“I only get out what I put in,” he stressed.

As for staying connected with his long-time team-mates, Strachan said it’s a “blessing” because “a lot of people wanted to see us fail. But with God on our side and working together, we realised that we could accomplish anything.”

Also hoping to study sports management when he goes, the 6-1 Strachan, who plays shooting guard, is the son of Anastacia and Reginald Demeritte.

“I want to get my degree and come back and help out the youth in the community,” said Strachan of the Fox Hill area that they all grew up in.

Alexandre, a 6-0 combo guard, thanked God and Johnson for enabling him to be the first person in his family to head off to college.

“I want to start the trend now and hopefully others will follow me,” said Alexandre, the son of Maculin Jean-Pierre and Jaenita Phillipe. “When I told them, they laughed at me. So I have to prove to them that I can make it.”

Going to the same school with his team-mates, Alexandre said it’s definitely a plus, but he prays and hopes that they all will succeed in their journey.

“My dream is to play professional basketball, but if it doesn’t work out, I would like to come back home and help out the young people in my community,” said Alexandre, who is seeking a degree in sports management as well.

And Sanusi, also pursuing a degree in sports management, thanked God and coach Johnson for helping him to get off to school.

“It’s a blessing to get off to school to play basketball. It’s a dream come true,” he said. “When I came here, the coach told me that I have to put in the hard work on and off the court. I used that to get to this point.”

With a good group of players to play with, Sanusi said it will only enhance their performances.

“For the last two years, I played with a shin injury. I felt my game went down a bit, but I’m getting it back in the groove,” he said. “As time goes by, I hope to get better and better.”

The 5-9 point guard is the son of Carmen Jean-Pierre and Rasheed Sanusi.

Johnson said he clearly remembers when all four of them came to play for him at CI Gibson. Stracahn, Sanusi and Emaniel all came from Akhepran International School three years ago, while Joseph joined them from St Anne’s High School two years ago.

“Jaden was the strongest of the crew. Then Saheed and Mani caught up, Johnson said. “Charles had some skills set, but he still had to get better for the college coaches to take a look at him. “Over the last two years, he worked extremely hard to give himself a chance. Jaden, Emaniel and Saheed really pushed themselves in the weight room to get better and study the game so they could be able to play college basketball.”

Once they get to NECC, Johnson said it will be up to the quartet to put the fundamental skills he instilled in them to good use because they will need it to play at the next level.