Like any sport, playing football in college takes discipline, commitment and determination. Only about three percent of high school football players go on to play at the Division I level. Next fall, Ona Pela (‘26) will join that three percent. With an impressive football career at Cherry Hill East, it’s no surprise that Pela will be continuing to play as an offensive lineman at Central Connecticut State’s Division I program.
Pela started playing football in sixth grade but missed the following two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has since played all four years of his high school career.
Despite the immense work and time Pela has put into football at East, he did not always know he wanted to play in college.
“My time at East really helped me because of all the guidance from the great coaches I’ve had,” Pela said.
The commitment process can be challenging as athletes try to find the right school, and Pela commented that his own commitment consisted of many college visits and campus tours. But for him, there were no challenges as he was quickly drawn to Central Connecticut State for multiple reasons.
“I really liked the campuses and facilities and also the coaches expressed a lot of interest. Additionally, they are a really great team,” said Pela.
As he looks towards the next chapter of his football career, Pela reflects on his time at East. Despite his many achievements, such as making the first team all conference two times, the memory that stuck out the most for Pela was bringing home the boot after beating West for the first time in 12 years during his junior season.
But in addition to the many memories and achievements of Pela’s football career, he says he has learned a lot from his time playing East football.
“Playing football has helped my communication and social skills,” Pela remarked.
Overall, Pela’s football career serves as an inspiration for other players through the hard work he has put into it. He will be greatly missed by the team next season as he moves on to play at the next level.