Paraclete’s secondary has been a highlight this football season, adding a valuable counterpart to an offense that’s been hot at times.
Football has been a constant in the lives of three-star cornerback Stacy Gentle and his younger brother, Savaughn, who both have starring roles in that secondary.
Stacy and Savaughn spent their earliest days on the field watching their dad coach youth football in the Antelope Valley. Now, with the former a senior and the latter a junior, the duo still find comfort in sharing the field as two-way players.
“I always know he’s going to be on his side and I don’t have to worry about him,” Savaughn said. “Our communication is superior on the field. We live together, we eat (with) each other, we watch film together.”
Paraclete’s Savaughn Gentle, #10, tries to get past Hart’s Matthew Pellow, #43, during second-quarter action in a non-league game at the College of the Canyons on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The older Gentle has all the confidence in himself and his brother’s abilities. Each of the brothers has grabbed one interception apiece and each has had two pass breakups.
“I know that teams are for sure looking out to see where I’m at or where my brother is out on the field. But it really doesn’t matter where we’re at on the field because we’re always going to make plays,” he said.
Two years ago, varsity football at Paraclete (3-3 overall, 1-0 Angelus League) looked different. The team finished the season 1-9, marking the third straight season with a record at or below .500.
At the time, Savaughn and Stacy were attending Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills before returning home and joined the Paraclete roster last season. When they arrived, the spirits seemed to turn over a new leaf.
The team finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 7-4 and placed fourth in the Angelus League before appearing in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.
Stacy credits part of the team’s newfound success to the coaching staff.
“They want to see you to succeed. They’re always going to be on you regardless, and they’re gonna love you outside of the football field too.”
Stacy says his relationship with assistant coach Michael Sheridan has been especially instrumental.
“I met him last year or two years ago,” he said, “but it feels like I’ve known him my whole life. He’s taught me more about my position…watching film and about getting better as a football player.”
While he has dreams of eventually playing in the NFL, more immediate decisions on his future in football lie ahead of him as he’s earned seven offers from Division I programs. The cornerback says he doesn’t have a dream school but wants to make sure he chooses the right fit. Right now, he’s focused on the season ahead of him.
“It feels good to have seven offers, but I know seven offers are just motivating me to go get more offers. I’m going to keep on doing my job and keep on doing better.”
While Savaughn shares his brother’s dreams of playing in the NFL, he still has one more year with Paraclete. It will be the first time in a long time that he’ll be without his older brother.
“I just prepare myself knowing that he’s not going to be there, but I know he’s going to be doing something good,” he said.
Savuaghn currently leads the league in touchdowns with nine on the season. Four of those touchdowns were against Village Christian, where he picked up 193 receiving yards.
The best part of the game for him? Seeing his teammates — who he calls his brothers — grow.
“I love seeing my teammates succeed when they get a touchdown,” he said. “We’ve put in a lot of work this season. Workouts at 6 a.m. and just seeing my linemen do what they do.”
Paraclete is currently on a four-game win streak thanks to the help of the Gentle brothers. Next up for the Spirits is a road game at Cathedral at 7 p.m. on Friday.
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