Larenzo Jerkins is ready to make a difference.

After transferring in from Chester, the 6-foot-six-inch senior forward watched from the basketball sidelines last season as his teammates struggled, writes Joseph Santoliquito for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Now, he’s ready to make up for lost time at Neumann Goretti High School in Philadelphia.

That’s why he runs line drills by himself before his teammates arrive.

Sitting on the bench watching his teammates struggle in the Catholic League championship last spring was difficult.

“Last year was hard,” Jerkins said. “There were a few nights I cried myself to sleep. Basketball is my therapy. When you’re not out there supporting your teammates, it haunts you.”

This season it’s going to be different..

“I have to get to the gym early, start the mood off being the up one, the leader of the team,” Jerkins said. “If I do a lot of things, people will follow. “

“I know that I’m far from the player I want to be and the player I can be for this team to win.”

Jenkins is looking at West Chester University as his college destination, where Damien Blair is the coach.  West Chester apparently likes him as well.

Find out more about Larenzo Jerkins in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Larenzo Jerkins interview as a Chester High School freshman after the South Media hoops tournament.