Like Father, Like Son

This year, West Ashley High School senior T’Qele Holmes has a new motivation to score touchdowns. With the recent passing of his grandmother, Holmes has dedicated each and every game, touchdown, and all of the WAHS Varsity Football Team’s wins to her. “I go hard for my Granny this year because she passed away in March. I blow kisses to the sky [for her],” he says.
It was Holmes’ father who first got him interested in the game 12 years ago. “My dad told me I needed to toughen up, and mostly I wanted to be like him,” says Holmes. His father played football in high school and college, and Holmes plans to do the same. Holmes, along with the rest of the football team, practices three hours a day, four days a week. According to Holmes, strength training in the weight room has contributed to his team’s success so far this season. “It makes us stronger,” he says. Dedicating that much time to football doesn’t leave him much free time for other things. Holmes says that he is willing to make a few sacrifices during the season in order put football and school first. One of his biggest sacrifices is giving up having a girlfriend. “I don’t ever have a girlfriend during the season because it’s just too much to balance,” he says. He also chooses not to go out on Saturdays or to any parties during the season.
The biggest challenge that Holmes says he faces during a game is staying focused. “Sometimes the crowd can be really loud. It’s a distraction,” he says. “I just have to block everyone out and keep my helmet on.” Holmes also abides by his role model, NBA star Kevin Durant’s advice: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
The football team’s recent game against Summerville on Sept. 25 was a big victory for WAHS, as it was the second time in the school’s history that the football team defeated Summerville and the first time they defeated them at Summerville. “T’Qele Holmes played both ways at wide receiver and defensive back in our win over Summerville. He caught six passes – one for a touchdown and broke up three passes on defense,” says WAHS head coach Bobby Marion. He also ran for 115 yards on offense, and had two tackles and a fumble recovery on defense.
During the offseason, Holmes runs track for WAHS. He competes in the 4×100, 4×400, 200, and 400-meter relays. This past season Holmes was part of the 4×100-meter relay team that broke the high school’s record … twice! Their record is 41.84, making them the number 1 ranked team in the state and the 37th team in the nation. He also plays videogames, hangs out with friends, works at Wendy’s, and of course, throws the football around whenever he can.
When Holmes graduates high school, he plans to accept one of the six scholarship offers he has received so far. Holmes wants to be a physical therapist because he wants to be able to help injured athletes recover and return to the game. He gets his inspiration from his uncle who is also a physical therapist. “I like it. One of my uncles does it and he makes a pretty good living out of it,” he says.