Ajene Harris’ name was not circulating in Southern California prep football circles entering his junior season in 2013. He had spent his sophomore year playing quarterback for a small charter school, Animo South Los Angeles, which until 2010 had only been able to support eight-man football.
Eight miles north on the 110 Freeway from Animo South stood the campus of USC, Harris’ dream school. Eight miles may as well have been 800, and if he was ever going to make it to the school, he would have to bet on himself and create his own luck along the way.