By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor, Photos From Stacey McFarlane As much as Poly coach Chris Schmoke is happy with his Panthers’ being 7-1-1 and in a position to win a Prep League championship when they host Rio Hondo Prep on November 3, he does have regrets and disappointments as well. One that comes to mind […]
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor, Photos From Stacey McFarlane
As much as Poly coach Chris Schmoke is happy with his Panthers’ being 7-1-1 and in a position to win a Prep League championship when they host Rio Hondo Prep on November 3, he does have regrets and disappointments as well.
One that comes to mind is not getting the ball to Christian Henderson as often as they had planned.
It’s not just because he’s multi-talented and makes big plays whenever he’s near the ball.
For Schmoke, it’s also because Henderson works his butt off and deserves the touches.
And as important, Schmoke wants to reward a kid that he said is like a son to him, and another part is how much he admires Henderson for making the sacrifices he’s made to help the program evolve over the season.
Poly’s season started on a sour note, despite very high expectations.
The Panthers lost their season opener at Temple City, and they had a couple TD’s called back on penalties.
That night, Henderson called defensive coordinator Antonio Harrison and Schmoke late to discuss his frustrations.
You might think he called to whine about his teammates falling short earlier in the night.
But it couldn’t have been the opposite of that.
Henderson’s calls, including another one the next morning were literally all about what he did and didn’t do, and figuring out ways he could do more to best give Poly chances of winning games the rest of the way.
He wanted to know if they were disappointed in him, and reinforced his mind set that he was willing to take any and all criticisms to learn and grow from that first loss.
Henderson has played almost every position over his career at Poly, but for now, he’s mostly at receiver and a defensive back.
Henderson is such a lock-down DB that he’ll go weeks and months without one single ball being thrown his way, because their opponents scouted the Panthers and decided Henderson was too dominant to test.
On offense, he’s one of a couple receivers, including fellow senior Jackson Hayes that can break an 80-yard play at any moment.
But with Poly not quite mastering their passing game, Henderson has to almost make plays on defense to touch the ball.
Any competitor would be disappointed in that scenario, and it’s no different for Henderson.
And don’t get it wrong, he isn’t frustrated for selfish reasons, it’s because he knows when he touches the ball consistently, Poly’s chances of victory go way up.
In 18 years of covering high school sports from the San Gabriel Valley, the Inland Empire, Long Beach and for the OC Register, this reporter has been privileged to meet and tell stories of athletes who are special people.
Of the hundreds and hundreds of stories I’ve written, an hour conversation with Henderson left me inspired for the future, because of how smart, disciplined, focused and driven this 17-year old athlete is.
Henderson is strong, fast, smart, versatile and he is certainly a student of the game.
His teammates and coaches love him.
“The first thing that he did to help our program is that he stayed at Poly (when he reached high school age) It was huge. He was a really good player in Pop Warner. A lot of schools would have loved to have had him, but he stayed at Poly,” coach Schmoke said..”It also says to me about him that he was willing to do a lot of work because he wants the best out of it. His own peers look to him, even the strong personalities.
We’ve always got Christian to bail us out and that’s not necessarily fair to him. To me, he just reminds me of me. As a dad who has 4 kids, I hope my kids are like Christian. My 5-year old son Colton wants to be the water boy, and he wants to wear Christian’s jersey, because every time my kids walk by, he makes it a point to engage with them, despite all the things he has going on. It’s just who he is.”
Henderson also plays golf, but isn’t sure he’ll have the time to devote enough of himself to be as good and consistent as he’d want to be while competing.
If his athletics skills and prowess weren’t impressive enough, Henderson is even a better person and student than he is an athlete.
He boasts a 3.7 GPA, which is elite enough on its own, but to do so with a challenging schedule of classes makes it even respectable.
How did Henderson turn out this way?
It starts with his parents, Raphael and Tyra.
Henderson said his parents always instilled in him how valuable and necessary a good education is to a productive, satisfying and successful life.
Mrs. Henderson is an principal in East LA, and Mr. Henderson is a district manager for Wells Fargo.
But it’s not just his parents that inspire him to reach for the sky, it’s also his grandpa, Ocie Henderson, a man who still works today despite being in his 80’s.
“I am so appreciative of how hard my parents work to provide for us,” Henderson said. “Their work ethic is something that pushes me, and makes me want to be the best me I can be. And as much as they’ve stressed what is and isn’t important in my life to be successful, they’ve also shown me all sides of my culture and the different conditions some of my (extended) family live in.”
Henderson is also proud of his brother, Connor, who is on the junior varsity team, and Connor was actually called up to varsity recently.
Connor admires his big brother and even wears the same number.
Schmoke said Henderson doesn’t waste a minute in a day and that he’s improved greatly over the years.
Said Schmoke: “We rely on him heavily to run our defense, and he’s one of our two shut-down corners. That means you leave two guys on an island and it’s tiring as hell. People don’t even try to throw on him. He’ll go games where he won’t even get a chance to make a play on the ball because people won’t throw his way. Most people wouldn’t handle not getting the ball. Christian came in a good player. He was confident and competitive and has always been a tough kid. He also a quiet leader and has gotten faster, bigger and stronger. He understands things most kids don’t.”
Henderson is really close with his teammates, but none more than his fellow seniors.
He takes being a leader not only seriously, but as an honor because it means his coaches and teammates respect him.
His love for Poly includes more than just athletics.
Henderson covets the diversity at his school, and loves being part of a campus that is embracing of people of all backgrounds, religions and political stripes.
He is more than smart enough to have his own opinions, and opinions that are backed up with logic and reason.
But he’s also open to listening to an opposite view and willing enough to change his mind if a respectful and analytical argument can sway his thought process.
He’s also a guy who loves his teammates and coaches, especially Schmoke and defensive coordinator Antonio Harrison.
Henderson knows he’s one of 11 guys on both sides of the ball, and he appreciates each and every teammate for contributing to the team’s and his success.
Poly is loaded with impact players, including Cameron McFarlane, Jackson Hayes, Franco Alonso, Matt Queen, Graham Olson, Sean Tibay, Jackson Treister, Thomas McConnell and many others.
His football season is nearing an end, and while they have one more regular-season game left and hopefully at least a couple CIF playoff games, Henderson knows what he hopes his younger teammates remember him for.
“I hope they think I was a solid leader and someone they could depend on,” Henderson said. Someone who wants to be there when it matters most and do whatever would benefit the team. That I was willing to work and put in overtime to do anything and everything I could to make this team and each other better. I am very thankful for the relationships I have established and I hope we remain a family over our lifetimes.”
And as far as his coach goes, Schmoke can’t wait to see how successful Henderson becomes in whatever field he chooses, because he knows his star senior is destined for greatness.
Quotable:
Poly coach Chris Schmoke: “He is a kid who really showed up as a freshman with a little swagger, but what’s impressed me is the work he puts in on the field, in the weight room and the class room. Christian is just dedicated to excellence. He wants to get the most out of this experience. He doesn’t take anything for granted and wants to use this to get to the best school he can, and he’s someone I know is destined for nothing but success.”
Poly defensive coordinator Antonio Harrison: “Christian is a special and unique individual on and off the field. As a defender, he is a lockdown corner that teams will rarely, if at all, go after in the passing game. We rely on him as a shutdown corner to stop some of the best receivers we face, giving our interior players the time to get sacks and force turnovers. As a person, Christian has a big heart and I have a lot of love for that young man. He is intelligent, charismatic, funny, and always willing to share his feelings, and I truly appreciate that. Christian has a very bright future ahead of him, on and off the field. I am just glad to have been a part of his journey in some capacity.”
Poly senior Matt Queen: “I’ve known Christian almost my whole life. We’ve gone to school together since Pre-K, and its been an honor to grow up with him as one of my closest friends. Ever since we were playing football on the field in lower school, I’ve known that he is an extremely talented player and athlete. He has so much potential, and I hope he is able to continue playing at the next level.”
Poly senior Cameron McFarlane: “Chris is one of the most elite athletes that I’ve ever seen play the game. He is very talented and even more humble. As a teammate and a friend, Christian will always cheer you on from the bottom of his heart, and you can’t do anything but reciprocate that tenfold whenever he performs.”
Poly senior Jackson Hayes: “Chris is one of the best athletes I’ve ever played with. He can do it all. He is super quick and very strong. On top of that, he is a really smart dude with a strong work ethic. He is also hilarious, so he can always pick you back up when your feeling down. I’d take him on any sports team any day.”
Poly senior Graham Olson: “Since freshman year, Christian has had a huge impact on this football program. This impact not only comes from his natural talent, but from his leadership during practice as well. Football aside, Christian is one of the hardest working students I know, and a genuinely kind and funny person who can always raise the team’s morale.”
Getting To Know Christian Henderson:
Favorite Team: USC
Favorite Athlete: Reggie Bush
Favorite Movie: Wolf of Wall Street
Favorite Musical Artist: Tampe Impala
Musical Artist People Might Be Surprised I Like: Rage Against the Machine
Famous Person (alive or dead) I’d Most Want A Conversation With: Barack Obama
Prep League Standings:
Poly (5-1-1 overall, 1-0 in league)
Rio Hondo Prep (5-2, 1-0)
Trinity Classical (2-6, 0-1)
Firebaugh (2-6, 0-1)
Poly’s 2017 Schedule-Results:
August 25: Temple City 28, Poly 7
September 2: Poly 55, Mission 0
September 8: Poly 14. Brentwood 14
September 16: Poly 60, Mary Star 0
September 22: Poly 33, Rosamond 6
September 28: Poly 29, Maranatha 0
October 13: Poly 34, Boron 8
October 19: Poly 54, Trinity Classical 6
October 27: Firebaugh vs Poly at South Pasadena High at 7
November 3: Rio Hondo Prep at Poly at 2:30
