De'Jon Coleman scored his record-breaking 47th touchdown on Friday but it wasn't enough to advance Arleta.
File photo by Rick Rowell
broke the Los Angeles City Section single-season touchdown record Friday night, but his career ended when
Arleta (Calif.) lost to
Birmingham (Lake Balboa, Calif.), 21-18, in the first round of the City Section Division I playoffs.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior running back scored his 47th touchdown on a nine-yard run with 11:19 left to give the Mustangs an 18-14 lead. However, Birmingham rallied for the winning touchdown with 1:16 left. Coleman, who gained 156 yards on 27 carries, broke the record of 46 touchdowns which was set by Marlon Lucky.of
North Hollywood ( Calif.) in 2004.
De'Jon Coleman is hoping to get an
offer from Ohio State.
File photo by Rick Rowell
The coveted record had been a major goal for the versatile Arleta speedster.
He told MaxPreps, "It was through hard work and dedication. You've got to have a want for it. It was a pleasure. I wanted to get the best things possible."
Coleman, who runs 40 yards in 4.4 seconds and bench presses 290 pounds, also holds school records for most yards (330) and touchdowns (6) in a game and most rushing yards for one year (2,029).
Coach Dan Kelley praised his star for performances both on and off the field.
Kelley said, "He had a great career. He was an impact ball player when he arrived in 10th grade as a cornerback. Football-wise, his development has been tremendous physically and mentally. He's done a lot for our school. He has the ability to break tackles and run people down. The LA City Section has been around for over 100 years and he has broken a record that (over the years) was held by Hall of Famers. It's an unbelievable accomplishment."
Kelley has been just as pleased by Coleman's academic improvement since his sophomore year.
He noted, "He knows the importance of the weightroom and the classroom. I would compare his academic habits to a college student right now. He has a 3.7 GPA and has a strong desire to go to college. That's No. 1 on his list.
"He's getting looks, but not many offers. I'm telling colleges right now, 'Don't recruit this kid as a running back. Recruit him as an athlete. He can play anywhere.' He can play slot receiver, wide receiver, or cornerback. He can play anywhere."
Coleman, who has been playing football since age six, says that Ohio State is his favorite school, though he does not yet have an offer from the Buckeyes. Slot receiver would be his position of choice.
"I feel like I can catch the ball as well as run," he said confidently. "I feel I can really help their offense."
