Football: Mil’Von James is building program at Hawkins High

Mil’Von James grew up less than block from Hawkins High at 60th street and Figueroa in South Los Angeles. He was a standout defensive back and running back at Fremont High on the same 2002 team coached by Pete Duffy that had All-City receiver Mark Bradford. James went to UCLA, Bradford to Stanford.

James, 28, is back in his neighborhood trying to start a program from scratch. He was the JV coach last season when Hawkins started playing football, then took over the varsity program after the third game. The team went 3-8 and made the City Section Division III playoffs. Bradford occasionally drops by to offer help.

The Hawks will be much better this season. James and his brother, Malik, the offensive coordinator and another former Fremont player, are determined to help Hawkins players understand how they were able to get to college, through academics first, then football.

“I try to give them my resume,” James said. “I went to UCLA out of Fremont and not many did that.”

He’s a walk-on coach, and Tuesday’s opening day of school presented all kinds of issues, from players showing up late to practice to trying to get new players cleared, dressed and fitted with equipment.

Hawkins has talent. There’s sophomore Greg Johnson, an all-around athlete who accounted for 1,180 yards in total offense as a freshman. There’s 6-2 sophomore receiver Joseph Lewis, who had six touchdowns. And there’s 6-3 freshman receiver Jalen Hall, who hasn’t played a single game but already has a scholarship offer from Miami.

There’s also players that make James smile and want to coach, such as 5-3, 115-pound freshman Marvin Benitez, who’d probably run through a goal post if James asked him.

One Hawkins varsity linemen showed up late riding in on a skateboard.

The school has three academies, where students focus on gaming design, health and entrepreneurship. James is well on his way to building a quality football program, but he seems to understand the importance of teaching his players lessons that they’ll be able to use and deploy when football ends.

Now, if only the school could paint its logo on its scoreboard and all-weather football field. The school opened in 2012 and has had other priorities, but the Hawks need to finally become the Hawks.

Twitter:@LATSondheimer