On a cold Tuesday night in Englewood, whistles cut through the air as the Lions youth football team lined up under the lights.

It’s only the second year for the Englewood Lions youth football program and they’ve already won just about everything in their path. Their trophy case has conference, state and regional championships.

Now, they’re chasing their biggest goal yet, a national championship.

But for the people who built this team, it was never just about trophies.

“There’s a lot of kids in this community just going down the wrong path,” said Kola Parks Jr., vice president of the Englewood Lions. “As a Black man you know you want to make an impact on young Black males growing up and show them the right path.”

Many of the players on the roster have grown up facing tough odds.

Coach

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