Conceive, believe, achieve.
That’s become a pattern at Eastside High School under football coach Harold “Gator” Hoskins.
From back-to-back district championships and state playoff appearances, to as many as 13 college signings from its Class of 2024.
He’s got the Rams believing and on Thursday afternoon four seniors took the next step to achieving when they signed their National Letter of Intent (NIL) to play college football.
In fact, one of the signees wanted to give up football, until Hoskins became Eastside’s coach two seasons ago.
“My first two years, we weren’t being coached right so I didn’t really care about football until Coach Gator came in,” said defensive lineman Claude Whitford, who signed with Avila University, a private Roman Catholic university in Kansas City, Missouri. “He actually gave us a plan to start winning. That’s when I started caring about football.”
Whitford (6’2, 195), who is thinking of moving to outside linebacker or safety at the next level, “goes hard” in both game action and practice.
In fact, there’s one thing from those practices that he’s going to remember most about his head coach.
“Stay off the quarterback,” he said with a laugh.
During the season, Whitford got to the other team’s quarterback 5.5 times, while adding nine tackles for a loss.
“Claude, he just goes hard,” Hoskins said. “He doesn’t stop at all. He’s going to work his butt off. He knows how to face adversity. He’s been through a lot and continues to strive and do some great things.”
Joining him from the defense is safety D.J. Anderson, who signed with Independence Community College (Independence, Kansas).
“He’s a football player,” Hoskins said. “That kid knows football. He goes hard. He understands the assignment. He’s just a great kid, a great leader as well.”
Anderson (5’11, 165) tied for first with 56 total tackles. He also had 6.5 tackles for a loss, three interceptions, six pass deflections and one caused fumble.
“I came in and put the work in over the summer,” he said. “It didn’t happen overnight. I stayed prayed up and went out there and made plays this season. I’m happy to be here.”
He said he realized that potential following a pair of interceptions against North Marion (Citra) in a 42-0 district win in September.
Two of the Rams’ top weapons on offense were wide receivers Antoneo Wilson and Antonio Hubbert. They were part of a receiving corps that averaged 18.5 yards per catch.
“We’re going to miss those guys,” Hoskins said. “What Antonio Hubbert can do with the ball in his hands, he’s a special kid, and a lot of plays that Antoneo Wilson made this year. I just think about that last playoff game, that big catch that he had against Palatka, man we’re going to miss those guys.”
Wilson, who finished with 14 receptions for 323 yards and four TDs, saved his best for last with his remarkable 40-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Adrian Curtis to help beat the Panthers in the first round of the Class 2S state playoffs this past November.
“He’s a playmaker,” Hoskins said. “The guy has got speed, got great size, hands. He’s going to work hard. Just that right there alone, man he’s got an opportunity to do something special.”
Wilson (6’1, 185), who signed with Livingstone College, a private historically black Christian college in Salisbury, North Carolina, said it was Hoskins who helped drive him towards the dream of playing college football.
“My junior year, when we got that new coaching staff in, and then Coach Hoskins came to me before our Kickoff Classic game and he said, ‘do you want to play on Saturdays or not,’ and I said I do and he said ‘well you’ve got to go out there then and you’ve got to prove that,’ and that was just like a message from him to me, every game that you can play on Saturdays, you’ve got remember you’re that guy in this area,” he said.
Hubbert (5’7, 155) hauled in a team-leading 28 catches for Eastside, which finished 8-4 this past season. He had 29 catches as a junior for the 8-3 Rams.
He signed to play junior college football with Jacksonville Athletic Academy Community Christian College (JAACC) in Duval County.
“It’s been a big dream since I was little (to play collegiately) and I’m just glad that I could make it to this level to play football,” said Hubbert, who noted he needed to get bigger and faster. “So, I’m just taking advantage of my opportunity.”
Including punt returns, he finished with 457 all-purpose yards.
“If you get the ball in his hands, what he can do not only on offense but also what he can do on special teams, that’s going to take him a long way,” Hoskins said.