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Latest Prep Recruiting Updates |
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Plant City senior safety/running back Duran Lowe has verbally committed to Wake Forest.
Lowe, a three-year starter for the Raiders, chose the Demon Deacons over scholarship offers from USF, Florida Atlantic, Troy and Central Michigan. He made an official visit to Wake Forest this weekend and decided the Atlantic Coast Conference program was the best fit for him after returning home and discussing it with his family. He made his commitment Monday evening, Raiders coach Jason Strunk said.
“I just enjoyed it a lot,” Lowe said of his visit over the weekend. “When I got up there, they just treated me like family. I know that if I go in there and work hard, I’ll get a chance to play early. I know every college promises you that, but the head coach [Jim Grobe] told me that, so coming from his mouth, I believe him. I liked the academics, too, so that’s all I needed to know.”
Lowe said the Wake Forest coaches have told him he will play strong safety in college.
Lowe has battled an ankle injury all season, but still has been productive for the Raiders on both sides of the ball. He’s totaled 183 rushing yards and a touchdown on 29 carries, while contributing 29 tackles on defense.
Plant City (3-5), which has been eliminated from playoff contention, travels to face Brandon (1-7) on Friday.
2008 Jesuit graduate and former guard Charlie Mills (photo) will be a walk-on at Division I Holy Cross, Jesuit coach Neal Goldman said Monday.
Mills, a 6-foot point guard at Jesuit, averaged 10.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game his senior season. He also owned a 4.24 GPA, ranking him in the top 10 in his class, and scored a 1270 on his SAT.
Goldman said Mills “was truly one of the hardest working, dedicated, all out hustling player I’ve coached in my 29 years here at Jesuit.”
Holy Cross competes out of the Patriot League.
In other basketball news, Blake hired Leikeisha Broughton as its new varsity girls basketball coach. Broughton was the girls junior varsity coach last year.
She inherits a Blake team that finished 13-9 overall last year, 9-3 in Class 5A-District 10.
Before she coached at Blake, Broughton was the j.v. girls coach at Largo High from 2000-03. She played college basketball at Alabama State University, where she was team captain from 1997-1999.
Chamberlain senior infielder Marissa Menendez has verbally committed to UCF, coach Bob Diez told the Tampa Tribune Monday.
Menendez verbally committed to USF as a sophomore. Menendez finished her junior season with a .397 batting average and 27 hits, 25 runs and 22 RBIs. She also recorded five stolen bases with a .929 fielding percentage to earn Tribune All-County second-team honors.
Diez also announced that senior pitcher Alexandra Hartshorn has committed to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, a Division II school. Hartshorn was 11-3 on the mound as a junior for the nationally-ranked Chiefs.
East Bay junior pitcher Kayla Cox has committed to North Carolina State, her travel softball coach Frank Arcuri announced Monday.
Cox was 13-5 on the mound as a sophomore with a 1.54 ERA and 166 K’s. She also batted .270 with 17 hits and 13 RBIs. She was later named to the Tribune’s All-County second-team.
“She still has two years left,” East Bay coach Glenn Rodriguez said. “How good can she be? She can be one of the best to come out of this area.”
Rodriguez said Cox is still working out the details of the scholarship offer.
The Indians finished the 2008 season 15-10.
Riverview senior baseball player Brett Clements has verbally committed to South Florida Community College, Sharks coach Bill Leiby announced Saturday.
Clements, a catcher, has been a mainstay behind the plate for the Sharks. He’ll be a four-year starter, and during his time he’s handled several talented pitchers, including current Division I players Billy Bullock (Florida), Juan Carlin (USF) and Kyle Eastham (USF), and MLB draftees Andrew Barbosa and Anthony Ferrara.
Clements also was drawing interest from Florida Southern and Okaloosa-Walton Community College, Leiby said.
“He’s awemsome,” Leiby said. “He’s had to handle some of the best pitchers in the state. The last three years he’s hit over .350 and been the mainstay guy right there in the three hole for us.”
Leiby said Clements will sign during the early period in November.
Cambridge Christian senior baseball player Trent Tagliarini has verbally committed to Quincy University, a Division II program.
Tagliarini, a shortstop, was one of the top players last sesason for the Lancers, who finished as the Class 1A state runner-ups. Tagliarini hit .506 with seven doubles, five triples, four home runs, 26 RBI and 37 runs scored as a junior, earning all-state and Tribune All-Hillsborough County honors along the way.
Tagliarini recently made an official visit to Quincy, where one of his former Lancers teammates, Erik Shears, is a freshman on the football team. He gave his verbal commitment Thursday evening, Lancers coach Rick Shears said in an email.
Tagliarini will sign with Quincy during the early signing period in November, according to Shears.
Two Palm Harbor University High softball standouts who play for the Tampa Mustang 18U travel team have announced their college commitments. Senior shortstop Maddie O’Brien has committed to Florida State while catcher/infielder Kaitlyn Santo has decided to play for Indian River Community College, Tampa Mustangs director Ray Seymour said.
Although not from the area, two more players from the Mustangs 18U travel team made commitments. Lindsey Richardson, a senior pitcher at Ft. Myers High, committed to USF while Sebring High senior infielder Sam Lower committed to East Tennessee State.
Plant senior pitcher Kayla Suskauer has committed to Furman, coach Melissa Sigmon announced on Wednesday.
In the spring, Suskauer, who was named to the Tribune’s All-County first-team as a junior, led Plant to the Class 5A region final with 11-5 record, 0.94 ERA and 97 K’s.
“Kayla is a fierce competitor,” Sigmon said. “She’s solid and unwaivering. She stepped in and became a leader She’s such a team player.”
Although she played outfield sparingly for the Panthers last season, Sigmon expects Suskauer to be a pitcher in college.
“She’s so consistent,” she said. “We know what we can expect from her (on the mound). She doesn’t want to come out of a game and she’s always hustling.”
Oldsmar Christian senior and 6-foot-2 shooting guard Eric Segert committed to Idaho State on Friday, coach Ryan Pannone said.
Segert averaged over 25 points per game as a junior at Clearwater Central Catholic. Pannone said Segert visited Idaho State on Oct. 17. He also had interest from Longwood University.
“It was just a perfect fit,” Segert said.
Idaho State is a Division I school that competes out of the Big Sky Conference.
“I wasn’t looking for a time to commit,” he said. “When they first started recruiting me, I wasn’t thinking Idaho. I kind of laughed. But it’s in a valley.”
Segert is the first of three Oldsmar Christian players expected to sign Division I scholarships this year. Senior guard Chris Perez (6-4) has offers from UC Riverside, Stetson, and Jacksonville, along with interest from schools like Ole Miss, La Salle, East Carolina, Drake, Nebraska and Notre Dame. Forward Harald Doby (6-6) has interest from Clemson, South Carolina, Florida Atlantic, UNC Wilmington.
Newsome standout girls golfer Jessica Alexander has verbally committed to Coastal Carolina, a Division I program.
Alexander has been one of the Wolves’ top performers each of the last three seasons, especially in the postseason.
In 2006, Alexander finished sixth in the Class 1A-District 14 tournament and tied for sixth at the Class 1A-Region 5 tournament. In 2007, she tied for fourth at the Class 2A-District 11 tournament and tied for fifth at the Class 2A-Region 4 tournament. This season, Alexander finished third at the Class 2A-District 11 tournament after firing an even-par 72 at Heritage Isles, and earlier this week tied for 11th at the Class 2A-Region 4 tournament.
Alexander will sign with the Chanticleers, who compete in the Big South Conference and finished second at last season’s conference championships, during the early signing period in November.
Plant High senior and 6-foot-3 guard/forward Sheldon Cooley has committed to East Tennessee State, Plant coach Mike Phillips announced early Friday morning.
Cooley , rated a two-star recruit by Rivals.com and a four-star recruit by Floridahoops.com, also had offers from Florida Atlantic, Longwood University, Houston, Tennessee Tech, George Mason and Colorado State.
He was named to the Tribune All-County first-team and Class 5A all-state third-team as a junior after leading the state-ranked Panthers to the region semifinals while averaging 22.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 steals per game. A three-year varsity starter, Cooley has amassed 1,536 career points.
“I think this is the right decision for him,” Phillips said. “It’s the perfect place for him. They’re getting an explosive player who makes plays and who’s able to make people around him better.”
Phillips also said Ridgewood senior and 6-8 forward Lukas Poderis has committed to play for the Buccaneers as well. Cooley and Poderis visited the campus together a few weeks ago. Both play summer ball on Florida Elite’s 17U team, which finished sixth at the AAU Nationals at Disney’s Wide World of Sports this past summer.
Last December, Cooley was named to the inaugural Tampa Hoops Classic all-tournament team, which featured some of the top prospects in the nation. His sophomore season at Plant, he shared Tampa Bay Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year honors with former Wharton guard and now Butler University sophomore Shawn Vanzant. As a freshman at Robinson High, he was named to the Tribune’s All-County second-team.
In the spring, former Armwood point guard Adam Sollazzo, the 2008 Tribune Hillsborough County Boys Basketball Player of the Year, signed with East Tennessee State. Phillips said Sollazzo was Cooley’s host during his official visit.
The Buccanneers (19-13, 11-5) ended last season tied for third in the Atlantic Sun Conference. They lost in the conference semifinals.
Armwood senior linebacker Casey Callahan has verbally committed to Stony Brook, a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) program.
Casey Callahan, a two-year starter, has been one of Armwood’s top tacklers in each of the last two seasons. He is fifth on the team this season with 38 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack, despite missing one game.
“We made some trips this summer and he’s been around long enough to know what he wanted,” said Hawks coach Sean Callahan, Casey’s father. “I was good with it, too. He really sees himself playing there.”
Casey Callahan also considered Liberty, Western Michigan and Central Michigan.
An extra incentive for Casey Callahan is that he won’t be too far away from family. Sean Callahan, who grew up in Bridgeport, Conn., and still has family there, said the Port Jefferson Ferry runs from Long Island to the his hometown.
Casey Callahan is the third Armwood football player to make a verbal commitment. He joins offensive lineman Justin Cabbagestalk (Vanderbilt) and running back Sirchauncey Holloway (Liberty).
Here are some recruiting updates on a few Hillsborough County football players:
Newsome senior offensive lineman/defensive lineman Conor O’Neal hasn’t picked up his first scholarship offer yet, but Wolves coach Kenneth Hiscock thinks it could come as early as Monday, when N.C. State coaches are scheduled to fly in to get a look at O’Neal, according to the Newsome coach.
“They’re going to come down and look at him,” Hiscock said. “If he passes the eye-ball test, maybe they’ll [give him the offer].”
Buffalo also has shown increased interest in O’Neal. Coaches from Buffalo stopped by Newsome’s practice earlier this week, Hiscock said.
Plant City senior safety/running back Duran Lowe has reached five scholarship offers – Wake Forest, USF, Central Michigan, Troy and Florida Atlantic, but the biggest impact in his recruitment could come during the Raiders’ bye week during the first weekend in November. That’s when Lowe has scheduled an official visit to Wake Forest, considered the leader in his recruitment.
Lowe’s teammate, senior linebacker Denzel Drone, visited Western Kentucky last week, and said everything went very well.
“I pretty much liked everything. There was nothing that was not comfortable,” Drone said. “I could see myself as being a part of the team, but I’m not committed there. I’ve just got to keep an open mind. I don’t want to put all of my apples in one basket.”
Drone had previously picked up a scholarship offer from Troy, but he said Wednesday he’s not so sure that offer remains on the table because he hasn’t been able to get in contact with coaches from that program. Drone added he recently has received interest from Florida Atlantic and Buffalo, which had an assistant coach at the Raiders’ practice on Wednesday.
Armwood senior quarterback Mywan Jackson has scheduled his second official visit – it will be to Michigan on the weekend of Nov. 15.
The Wolverines have been considered one of the favorites in Jackson’s recruitment. He made an unofficial visit to the campus in Ann Arbor this summer and spoke very highly of the Michigan program upon his return from the trip.
Jackson, who has more than 20 Division I offers, has already made an official visit to North Carolina, and he made an unofficial trip to Louisville this past weekend with teammate Rob Jones and Hawks assistant Evan Davis.
There are plenty teams in Hillsborough County that depend on a go-to player. Wharton’s Jairus Jones is one of those players.
The 6-foot-2, 210 pound strong safety is the team’s leading tackler and second in the county with 96, he’s the Wildcats leading receiver with 382 yards and eight touchdowns, leads the secondary with four interceptions and has 41 rushing yards with three scores. If that’s not enough, Jones is a standout on special teams with 243 yards on punt return and 159 on kick return.
If it seems like Jones plays on every snap to attain these stats, its true.
On average, Jones plays 40 or more minutes per game.
“When I go to the sideline, I get some Gatorade or water and then I stand behind the coaches until it’s time to go back in,” he said. “The only time I sit down is at halftime. I want to stay on the field. I think that if I’m in on every play, it gives us a better chance to win, even in practice. If the first-team defense is practicing, I don’t come out.”
“He’s a Division I player,” Wharton coach David Mitchell said. “That’s the difference between a D-I athlete who works hard to get there.”
Jones, rated the No. 39 safety in the county by ESPN and No. 64 athlete by Rivals.com, has 12 offers. On Wednesday, he said Ball State, USF and N.C. State were the latest additions to the list. LSU, Michigan State, Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa are among the others. He said LSU and N.C. State are his top choices.
“N.C. State because my brother (Josh) is right down the road (at Elon),” Jones said. “My mom can see us both play.”
Hillsborough High running back Lindsey Lamar wasn’t the only county prospect to receive an offer from South Carolina this week. On Monday, the Gamecocks offered Chamberlain sophomore and defensive end James Wilder Jr., his first of many to come.
Wilder, who leads Chamberlain in tackles with 86, is the son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back James Wilder (1981-1989).
The young defender, known among his teammates as Manimal (half man, half animal), Bionic Man and Freak, played junior varsity last year. Why did he stay on j.v.? Because another standout DE, Dontavious Pyron, owned that position. Now that Pyron has moved to defensive tackle, Wilder is making a name for himself as one of the top defensive ends in the county next to Armwood’s Ryne Giddens and Alonso’s Demonte McAllister.
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