Woodland Hills has produced a number of college football players over the years, but a season ago, they had a new program, taking their studies to the next level.
Pictures on the wall at the Wolvarena show Woodland Hills graduates who went on to play football in college. It’s meant to serve as an inspiration for the current team.
But perhaps there’s no bigger source of inspiration than the graduating class of 2026 this past spring. Every single football player in that class is now in college, which is believed to be a first for this program.
“For us to win championships around here, we have to be good in the classroom,” Brian Tarrant said.
It’s a non-negotiable for Tarrant, who took over as Woodland Hills head football coach in 2023.
“Kids weren’t going to college as much as they had in the past. Grades were down. And we came in with a plan to build our academics, put an emphasis on academics, set some large goals,” he said.
Not just academics, but a team culture overhaul, including an emphasis on punctuality and accountability. Of course, changes didn’t happen overnight.
“The kids were fighting back some of the rule changes and some of the culture changes that we were implementing,” Tarrant said. “But about the middle of the year, we started rolling. We won a few games.”
And what was once a big transition is now the standard, even among teammates.
“They hold us accountable a lot ‘cause grades really matter because if you don’t got the grade, you can’t do anything,” Woodland Hills senior Davaughn Jones said.
As players improved their grades, college opportunities followed. Tarrant and his staff often drove players to campus visits themselves.
The big payoff came this past spring. All 16 seniors on the football team went to college. Aaron Bouie is one of them.
“It was crazy because we all knew we could do it, but it’s very rare for everybody in your class to go to college,” Bouie said.
And while that’s a major accomplishment in itself, it’s the trickle-down effect leaving an even bigger mark.
“It keeps me motivated to keep pushing, keep grinding every day, keep thanking God ‘cause I know it’s gonna come one day and I’m gonna be on that big screen going to college,” Jones said.
“Already the expectation is to go to college, which right there is the victory,” Tarrant said.
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