Photo via San Diego Union Tribune 

Will C. Crawford High School in San Diego has students from all over the world, including Somalia, Vietnam, Mexico, Cambodia, and many more countries. Crawford students speak more than 50 languages.

In 2012, the school came close to losing its football program, because not enough players came out for the team.

Crawford’s athletic director, Kelcie Butcher, approached head coach Mike Wright during his first season in 2012 to discuss the future of the program.

“The athletic director came to me at the time and said, if we don’t get this fixed, we’re either going to cancel the season or go to only a JV season or go to eight-man,” Wright recalled. “I said, ‘Give me two days and let me see what I can do.’

Wright knew we couldn't let the Crawford Colts disappear. He asked Butcher to give him two days before making a decision.

Wright told San Diego Union Tribune, “I went to the streets. I went to the phone books. I got as many kids as I could.”

After Wright's efforts, he was able to get another 18 kids to join the programming, keeping Crawford’s varsity program alive with a roaster of 18 players, known as the Crawford 18.

“We like to call ourselves a melting pot,” told the San Diego Union Tribune Niko Perry, a senior running back and linebacker. “We accept everybody. Our team isn’t driven by winning. Our drive is to prove ourselves.”

However, this is one of the many hurdles that Crawford has faced.

The Colts have played without a home field for three seasons and played with outdated equipment. Even after Wright’s recruiting efforts, they barely have enough players to field a team.

Eight Colts play on both sides of the ball, but this football program means so much to these players. Keyshawn Dante Walker said, “It takes heart, like a lot of it,”  “If you have heart, you can play both ways.”

The team even has five or six players that never come off the field, including wide receiver and safety Ali Musa. He has only missed six plays.

Musa efforts on the gridiron have not gone unnoticed, Musa has caught the attention of Dixie State University (St. George, Utah).

This season, the Colts have even more to celebrate. They are currently 3-0 and have a home field.

The Colts will play their first home opener Oct. 20, something this team has always dreamed of.

Coach Wright told the San Diego Union Tribune, “I’m sure I’m going to have a giant smile and the hairs on my arms are going stand up. I might have a couple of tears even. Who knows? It’s going to be pretty intense.”

Until the long-awaited day in October the Colts are looking to improve on this season’s undefeated record.

The Colts will play the El Cajon Braves on Friday night in hopes of becoming 4-0 for the first time in school history.