Armwood’s Baines No. 10 in Florida for tackles

Posted Oct 13, 2011 by Bill Ward

Updated Oct 13, 2011 at 12:31 AM

Armwood linebacker Keionne Baines just might be the one of the state’s best high school football players you’ve never heard of. But according to the state’s statistical leaders on MaxPreps. Baines is certainly among the best tacklers in Florida.

The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Baines is No. 10 in the state for all classifications in total tackles with 77, 41 solos and 36 assisted. He also has three sacks and has caused one fumble. In Class 6A, Baines is No. 2, 20 behind Fort Myers Bishop Verot’s Paul Cecere.

Not to cast aspersions on the players ahead of Baines for all classes, but the state leader, Palatka Peniel Baptist Academy’s Ryan Ward (no relation to yours truly but my grandfather once lived in Palatka before moving to bustling Sanford) has 115 total tackles and his team is one of the lowest-ranked squads in the state (No. 553, compared to Armwood at No. 2). Peniel Baptist, which plays an independent schedule, also has the No. 4 tackler in the state. At 3-4, maybe Peniel Baptitst’s defense is on the field a lot.

Meanwhile, St. Petersburg High has the No. 2 and No. 5 tacklers in the state with nearly 200 tackles between them. The Green Devils play in Class 7A and are 4-2 with one win coming by forfeit.

What’s interesting about Baines is that he played his sophomore and junior seasons at East Bay. But even if he had been at Armwood last year, he may not have seen too much playing time because of the solid senior linebackers on that squad.

Despite his numbers this season at high-profile Armwood, Baines hasn’t received a lot of attention from college recruiters. But if he continues tackling folks at this torrid pace, he will.