Call them the “Three Amigos,” a trio of Point Loma High athletes who became inseparable friends during four years of football highs and lows. And now they will continue their bond as their journey takes them to a private Christian university in Missouri.
Brady Allen, Nate Terzoli, and Rocket Robinson endured the pain, sweat, and sacrifices required of varsity players. They began during one of the darkest times in Pointer football history during COVID when newly appointed head coach Joel Allen, Brady’s uncle, did not have enough skilled players to compete at the varsity level and made the decision to cancel the season after a brutal 64-0 opening loss to Lincoln High.
When informed of the cancellation, the team’s seniors quit. Then, in support of the seniors, the juniors left the team.
But among the small group of loyal freshmen and sophomores who assembled on the Correia Middle School field for practices that year were Allen, Terzoli, and Robinson. They, along with classmates such as Aaron Lee and Ryan Burdine went on to become Pointer stars under coach Allen, put the Pointers back in the county spotlight, and carry the team to the CIF championship and semi-final rounds.
As seniors, each of them knew they could play at the university level, but for Allen, the choice was clear. His grandparents had attended Evangel University as did his parents. Both men played football and his father and mother met on campus.
The trio looked at several colleges together, but when Allen received an offer he sent a video of Terzoli and Robinson and Evangel also offered them.
Allen still scheduled an official visit and he invited Terzoli, Robinson, and two other Pointers to join him.
That visit produced some positive reactions.
“I got to know the coaches and they are a good group of guys,” Allen said. “They are a winning program and I want to win too. We’re all excited to compete there. We should get playing time as freshmen and then more as we move up.”
“I enjoyed the atmosphere and the school,” Terzoli said, “The coaches did a really good job of recruiting us. They showed us the school is a really good place for us to be, both spiritually and athletically.”
“I liked the vibe of the school, Robinson said. “It is a faith-oriented school and it would be a good change for me. I like the atmosphere there.”
The trio will be joining a winning team. Last season, Evangel joined the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) where the football team carried an 11-0 record into NAIA-FCS playoffs receiving a first-round bye before their quarterback was injured during a 40-13 second-round loss.
Allen plans to major in business management while Terzoli and Robinson each plan to major in kinesiology with a minor in business to open a gym together in the future where they will be personal trainers.
For the “Three Amigos,” their football future lies ahead and one ironic fact binds them to their days as Pointers: Evangel’s colors are also maroon and gold.
