The Laguna Hills High marching band echoes from the stands, an eerie sound emanates from their drums as their football team punts the ball to the Bulldogs. Standing at the 5-yard line, wide receiver and senior Kamran Jahromi readies himself for the play — the crowd growing silent amidst the brooding beat of drums. Regardless, Jahromi remains at ease, catching the ball and charging the field as if he was born to do it.

“I’ve always been playing football since young, so it was never really a doubt that I was going to play in high school,” Jahromi said.

Jahromi started the sport when he was just 5 years old, gaining inspiration to play football after growing up with older cousins who played Division I in college and the NFL. After putting in time and dedication, he was ranked number one in the Pacific Coast League for 791 receiving yards during his senior season.

“He really made the jump from last year to this year as far as just kind of being our team leader on the field,” football coach Desmond Hernandez said. “He made a lot of super spectacular athletic plays and was dependable when we needed him most. He played both offense and defense this year, and when he was healthy, he was probably just the best overall player on the field, probably even for both teams, no matter who we were playing.

Hernandez said that Jahromi has a natural instinct to play football with his innate sense of athleticism and speed. Making tackles to prevent touchdowns, Jahromi’s dynamic plays are what make him so vital to the team, according to Hernandez. But as Jahromi reflects on his own high school journey amidst the numerous milestones he has achieved, one accomplishment stands out above the rest.

“I would say the biggest accomplishment would be just playing with the guys next to me, all seniors, and also breaking almost all of the career and season records for football,” Jahromi said.

Although this is his last high school football season, Jahromi cherishes moments with his senior teammates. Looking back, he feels a sense of pride from their game against Beckman High on Oct. 6, where he scored two touchdowns, intercepted the ball and completed 197 receiving yards. He also credits his favorite memory to the Bulldogs’ game-winning block kick against University High on Aug. 25.

With these moments in mind, Jahromi gives some advice for athletes facing mental obstacles.

“Keep your mind straight, and don’t let anyone or anything get in your way,” Jahromi said. “Always keep pushing through because if you’re at the bottom the only way you could go is up.”