Wednesday’s offers

Posted May 9, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 9, 2012 at 08:51 PM

Wednesday’s local prep football players who have received scholarship offers, as reported by the head coaches:

Alonso—Sophomore WR/TE Marcus Mosely (6-4, 195) received his first offer this week, from South Alabama, Ravens coach Brian Emanuel said.

Gaither—Junior RB Shug Oyegunle (5-9, 170) has received offers from Lehigh and Furman, Cowboys coach Jason Stokes announced.

Wharton—Junior DB Vernon Hargreaves (5-11, 185) landed offer No. 39, from Michigan State. Expect No. 40 to be Oregon.

Tampa Catholic— Junior WR Zach Benjamin (6-3, 175) received an offer from the Air Force Academy, Crusaders coach Bob Henriquez announced.

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Four more Eagles set to play college football

Posted May 8, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 8, 2012 at 01:07 PM

Four more Brandon Eagles football players from the 2011 playoff squad are headed to play collegiately next fall, former head coach John Lima announced Tuesday.

Defensive end Vince Motley will play for Concordia College, an NAIA school in Selma, Ala., where 2011 Brandon graduate Billy Jackson is currently competing an attending school.

Wide receiver Chaz Laidler will attend the noted junior college program College of the Desert in Palm Desertm Calif., defensive lineman Dishon Brathwaite is headed to Adrian College, a Division III school in Adrian, Mich., and offensive lineman Joe Markart will go to Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, the same Division III school Eagles defensive back Jerome Gordon chose earlier this spring.

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Hawks score their championship rings

Posted May 7, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 7, 2012 at 09:42 PM

Saturday afternoon at the Crowne Plaza Tampa East Hotel, the Armwood Hawks finally got their rings signifying their 2011 Class 6A state football title.

It’s been a long, arduous journey. Not just all the hard work they endured for the past year, but the controversy surrounding a state investigation of their program, one that has still not concluded.

But all that was put aside Saturday as the players, their parents and Armwood coaching staff enjoyed the plush surroundings of the Crowne Plaza, a buffet awards ceremony and ring presentation. The Hawks also got to watch a highlights video of their 15-0 season that culminated with a victory over Miami Central in the state championship game at the Orlando Citrus Bowl.

MVP awards went to senior linebacker Eric Striker on defense and junior wide receiver/athlete Alvin Bailey on offense. Striker is headed to the University of Oklahoma and presented defensive coordinator Matt Thompson a book of photos with something written by each player for Thompson.

The Hawks were then presented their championship rings when the parent or parents of each member of the squad was called up and presented those precious few ounces of metal they will carry with them the rest of their lives. It was the parents who not only paid for the majority of the rings’ costs, but supported their kids to achieve the state title.

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Jesuit seeking spring jamboree game

Posted May 3, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 3, 2012 at 09:35 PM

James Harrell says he knows it’s getting kind of late to find an opponent, but if anyone wants to play his Tigers football team in a spring jamboree game later this month, he’s interested.

Harrell says the date the Tigers would need the game to be played is May 25. Unlike Hillsborough County’s public schools, Jesuit can play a four-quarter game. And within reason, Harrell says it doesn’t matter where the game is played, either home or away.

Any school interested in the game on that date should contact Harrell at Jesuit High.

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Auburn offers Jesuit’s Jackson, Johnson

Posted May 3, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 3, 2012 at 09:27 PM

Jesuit rising junior tight end/linebacker Vincent Jackson (6-2, 213 lbs) and rising senior wide receiver Travis Johnson (6-4, 200) have both landed a scholarship offer from Southeastern Conference power Auburn, Tigers coach James Harrell announced Thursday.

Jackson also has offers from Cincinnati, Duke, Miami, Mississippi State, Missouri, Notre Dame, Purdue, Rutgers, USF, Toledo, UCF and West Virginia.

Johnson also has offers from Arkansas, Cincinnati, Florida, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Purdue, USF, Southern Cal, Vanderbilt, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

 

 

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Spring football: Day 1 notes

Posted May 2, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 2, 2012 at 09:35 PM

Notes from spring football drills from around Hillsborough County on Wednesday, which was the first day the county’s public schools can work out.

At Robinson, two notable names turned up for opening day: Zain Gilmore, Jr., who last season at Blake passed for more than 2,000 yards but decided to transfer to the Port Tampa school, and former Knights head coach Bud Hodgens, who retired in 2002 but has rejoined the staff as an assitant under his former assistant, Mike DePue.

It all had a feeling of déjà vu at Robinson. There was Hodgens, who looked just like he did when he stepped down 10 years ago, and on the other end of the field was Gilmore, the son of one of his former star players with the same name.

What hasn’t changed is DePue. He’s still as fired up as ever. Still has the beat-up visor and the long hair in a pony tail. This is going to be his final season this fall at Robinson before he retires. Wonder if he and Hodgens can get jobs with the next Knights head coach?

For now, Hodgens is going to be working with the linebackers. And Gilmore will be fighting for the starting QB job against returning Knights starter Vidal Woodruff, who looks as strong and athletic as ever.

At Blake, new head coach Micheal Burns took over. It was a fairly small group on opening day—about 25 players were in attendance. But some, like running back DeAndre James, are heading to this weekend’s state track meet and others have yet to arrive.

When they get there, they’re going to find a very disciplined atmosphere and a few new coaches, including former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Anthony Davis, who says he’s trying to stay in shape in case free agency calls. From the looks of him, he’s as fit and ready as any of them.

At defending state champion Armwood, coach Sean Callahan says he’s got enought athletes to make a serious stab at defending his state title. He and defensive coordinator Matt Thompson particularly like what they see on defense—a unit Thompson says can be even better than last year’s defense (is that possible?)

With plenty of skill players returning like do-everything Alvin Bailey and QB Darryl Richardson, the Hawks’ biggest needs are on the offensive line. But they’ve already landed Aaron Evans (6-5, 270), a Seffner Christian two-way lineman who transferred, and Gabe Nold (5-10, 268), a center who played last year at Wharton.

Over at Jefferson, coach Jeremy Earle is a little hamstrung because of all the standout players who are headed to Friday’s Class 3A state track meet in Jackosnville. Among them are junior receivers Jonathan Moore and Tanelios Walton and sophomore quarterback Deiondre Porter.

In the meantime, junior QB Tyler Small (6-3, 200) is getting a lot of reps at the position—and looking good, Earle said.

‘‘As expected, we’ve got a lot of great talent that’s going to have a chance to play and do something special next year,’’ Earle said. ‘‘Some of these guys have made great improvements in the offseason and have been working hard. We’re pretty excited about what they can do.’‘

At Tampa Catholic, Jefferson’s former head coach, Mike Fenton, was working again with his longtime friend, head coach Bob Henriquez. Fenton is a Crusaders alumnus who took just a year off after winning a state title with the Dragons before he got back to coaching.

The big question mark at TC, of course, is who’s going to be the running backs? The Crusaders waved good-bye to Trevor Register, now at Jefferson, and Jordan Rich-Rogers, now at Gaither, when both withdrew from TC earlier this year. Those two accounted for the bulk of the Crusaders’ ground game.

Now, Henriquez says rising junior T.J. Harrell (6-0, 190), who spent most of his time at linebacker last year, and rising sophomore Corey Bennett are strong candidates. And so is Ken Mention, a rising senior who earned a medal in the state 400-meter dash last week.

‘‘We’ll be fine (at running back),’’ Henriquez said. ‘‘We’re got a good part of our (offensive) line coming back and that’s the key.’‘

And the key to that line is rising junior Corey Martinez (6-4, 305), whom Henriquez says some college scouts say ‘‘looks better than some of the guys we have now.’’

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Freedom’s Godwin offered by Iowa State

Posted May 1, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 1, 2012 at 09:59 PM

Freedom High rising senior running back/defensive back Nate Godwin received his first scholarship offer, Patriots coach Todd Donohoe announced.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Godwin landed the offer from Iowa State.

On offense last season, Godwin rushed for 227 yards and three touchdowns on 58 carries. Defensively, he accounted for 43 tackles—30 solos—one interception and one fumble recovery.

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FHSAA: report on Armwood football still not complete

Posted May 1, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 1, 2012 at 07:35 PM

As Armwood High begins its defense of the Class 6A state football title on Wednesday with the start of spring drills, Florida High School Athletics Association associate executive director Dr. Peggy Jones said the association has not completed its final report into its investigation into alleged residency violations involving Hawks players.

In an email to the Tampa Tribune, Jones did not offer a timetable for when Armwood should expect to be notified of the FHSAA’s findings of its five-month investigation. Last month, FHSAA executive director Roger Dearing told the Tampa Tribune from the initial reports he received from the investigator dealing with the case, there appeared to be “serious” violations regarding the residency eligibility of Hawks players.

Once notified, Armwood administrators have 10 business days to notify in writing the FHSAA if it intends to file an appeal of any findings in the report.

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Blake QB Gilmore transfers to Robinson

Posted May 1, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 1, 2012 at 06:57 PM

Over the past several years, Robinson football coach Mike DePue says he has seen his share of players transfer out of his district to play at other schools in Hillsborough County.

Wednesday, DePue got a pretty good one to transfer into Robinson when rising senior Zain Gilmore, who passed for 2,139 yards and 20 touchdowns last season at Blake, registered at the Port Tampa school. According to Depue, Gilmore is living with his father and famous Robinson alumnus of the same name within the Robinson district.

In 1997, the elder Zain Gilmore rushed for a then Hillsborough County-record 2,322 yards, scored 29 touchdowns and was named Florida’s “Mr. Football.”

DePue said the younger Gilmore will be in competition with rising senior Vidal Woodruff, who in nine starts last season passed for 564 yards and 10 TDs.

Spring drills begin Wednesday across Hillsborough County.

“We’re going to give (Gilmore) the chance to start but right now, we have a very good quarterback in Vidal,’’ DePue said. “Competition is a good thing and we’re very happy to have it and Zain here at Robinson.”

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Track season over for Hillsborough’s Brown

Posted May 1, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated May 1, 2012 at 06:19 PM

The high school sports career of Hillsborough senior Anthony Brown is over.

Following his hamstring injury at the regional championships, Brown will be unable to compete in Friday’s Class 3A state finals in Jacksonville, Terriers coach Joe Sipp said Tuesday.

Brown, who was also a star running back for Hillsborough’s football team, owned the state’s second fastest time in the 100-meter dash for Class 3A (10.50 seconds) and was considered one of the favorites to capture gold in the event in the state championships at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. But after qualifying for the state meet in the 100 early in Wednesday’s regional competition, Brown pulled his hamstring later in the met while running in the 4x100 relay.

Brown fell to the track and had to be helped off by trainer Tim Kocher and Wharton coach Anthony Trianna. Once the hamstring was examined, it was clear Brown couldn’t run in the 200 finals later that night and it was obvious his senior state meet was in jeopardy, too.

Tuesday, Sipp said Brown, a Purdue University signee in football, was still unable to walk normally as a result of the injury and would have to withdraw from the state championships in the 100. Last year, Brown earned the bronze medal in both the 100 and 200 at the state finals.

“I feel really bad for him,” Sipp said. “It’s his senior year and it’s sad his high school career had to end like this.”

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