Manual Arts football team to be honored for most improved grade-point average

Manual Arts’ football team will be honored Friday for winning a competition among 10 Los Angeles Unified School District teams for having the most improved grade-point average as part of the Rams Academic Challenge.

The school will hold an assembly and the team will receive a $2,500 equipment grant courtesy of USA Football. Former Dorsey and UCLA standout Johnathan Franklin of the Rams’ community affairs department will lead a panel discussion.

San Fernando won the award last year for highest GPA. The other teams that competed besides Manual Arts were Marshall, Arleta, Belmont, Chavez, Legacy, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks CES, Westchester and Wilson.

The Rams Academic Challenge program recognizes two winners, the team with the highest overall GPA and the most improved GPA. Additionally as part of the program, each team had to commit to two of the following requirements: invite a college or career counselor to speak to the student-athletes, have at least 75% of the juniors and seniors take the SAT exam and at least 75% of the juniors and seniors create a free NCAA profile through the NCAA Clearinghouse, commit to 25 hours of community service, and monitor each player’s academic performance and progress on a weekly basis.