Orange Lutheran senior football player Aaron Ia has been on the gridiron since he was five years old. As a tight end for the Lancers, Ia is drawn to the creativity of the position.
 
"I love being able to be the most versatile on the field and being able to block and to catch the ball too," says Ia. "I feel like I've expanded the position for myself and am opening up more opportunities for (both) my teammates and me."
 
When it comes to drawing inspiration from NFL players, Ia feels that he and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle have a similar personalities and approach the game with the same fun and competitive spirit.
 
"I like George Kittle because of his energy and how people say we act the same," says Ia "I feel like we're similar. His playing style and mine, it compares up."
 
The Lancers are facing one of the most difficult game schedules in the country this season, but Ia and his teammates are approaching the challenge with some equally big goals, including a state championship.
 
"I just love competing against Mater Dei and Bosco," says Ia "I came here to beat them, and just to be able to compete against those [teams] and put OLu back on the map means a lot."
 
As a four-year varsity player and a senior leader on the team, Ia takes the knowledge he has gained from the OLu coaching staff, along with the life lessons he has learned from the game, and passes them on to the younger players in the program.
 
"I try to help them build good habits in practice," says Ia. "Holding myself accountable, waking up early on time…being able to build character as a man…football has taught me a lot of things."
 
The talented tight end has scored many touchdowns for the Lancers over his time at OLu, but none more memorable than the first touchdown of Ia's sophomore season that came soon after his grandmother's passing.
 
"I feel like that was just a message that I've got to keep going and keep grinding it out," says Ia.
 
Ia's junior season was interrupted by an ankle injury that sidelined him for the Trinity League portion of the schedule. Back and healthy this year, he feels his recovery time was a character-building moment.
 
"The physicality of the sport, the injuries that come along with it and how you deal with those are things I've really tried to figure out how to overcome," says Ia. "Last year, I figured it out by becoming more of a coach and using what I know and what I've been taught to help my teammates."
 
After he graduates this December, Ia will head to Tempe, Arizona, where he will join the Arizona State football program as a tight end. While playing for the Sun Devils, he plans to study business real estate with the goal of one day playing in the NFL.
 
The 18-year old credits his parents, specifically his father, as the most influential role models in his life, and he is grateful for how they have paved a path of support for him and his siblings. Ia admits that being at OLu and having the chance to experience Theology classes and weekly Praise and Prayer chapel have left an indelible mark on the growth he has experienced in his faith.
 
"I feel most definitely [my faith] is a strength, and now I play (for) Jesus and put him first in everything," says Ia. "I think just playing (for) him gives me the confidence to do anything."