Hillsborough’s Sherit lands offers from Oklahoma, Ole Miss

Posted Feb 10, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 10, 2012 at 09:31 PM

Two more scholarship offers have landed in the big hands of Hillsborough defensive end Jordan Sherit, including his first from the Big 12.

Seven-time national champions Oklahoma has made an official pitch for the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Sherit, Terriers coach Earl Garcia said Friday. Later that day, Garcia said Sherit picked up Ole Miss, his fourth Southeastern Conference school.

That brings his Division I total to 16 offers. And it’s still only the winter of his junior season.

Rivals.com recently rated Sherit the nation’s No. 76 player and the No. 5 defensive end. And with his frame, speed, tackling ability (a team-high 110 tackles and nine sacks) and grades (he’s in Hillsborough’s International Baccalaureate program), there’s a good reason why Garcia says Sherit “has all the parts.”

Sherit also owns offers from Arizona, Illinois, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Connecticut, the University of Central Florida, South Carolina, Auburn, Purdue, Duke, Miami, Vanderbilt and the University of South Florida.

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Former Shorecrest football coach Hayford among 34 applying for Brandon job

Posted Feb 10, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 10, 2012 at 12:09 PM

Brandon High athletic director Tibor Kovacs has released the list of names who have applied for the head football coaching position at the school. A total of 34 applications sit on his desk and Kovacs said he and a selection panel will begin narrowing the list Monday.

Some notable names are on the list, including former Shorecrest Prep head coach Phil Hayford. He headed the Chargers’ football program in St. Petersburg for 33 years—the longest run of ay coach in Pinellas County—when he learned last fall the school’s administrators were not going to renew his contract.

Others on the list include former Hillsborough County heads coaches Hugh Dehnert (Leto), now an assistant at Plant, Mark Kantor (Gaither), now an assistant at Wharton, Sean Washington (Blake) and two former Strawberry Crest head coaches, Todd Donohoe and Gerold Dickens.

Current Armwoos assistant Isaac Anderson has also applied. Many on the list have also applied for jobs at other openings in the county.

Also applying are Chuck Darby, a defensive tackle on the Bucs’ 2003 Super Bowl championship squad, former Tampa Bay Storm assistant Ron Selesky and former Bloomigdale High and South Florida running back Brian Surcy.

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Jesuit QB Tommy Eveld accepts USF walk-on offer, joins brother

Posted Feb 10, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 10, 2012 at 09:40 AM

Jesuit quarterback Tommy Eveld, who last season threw for 2,326 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for 111 yards and another three TDs, has accepted a preferred walk-on spot at the University of South Florida.

Despite his impressive statistics last fall, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound Eveld only had scholarship offers from several smaller schools, including Division II Fairmont State and Division III John Carroll and Marietta. He also had a grayshirt offer from Western Kentucky.

Jesuit coach James Harrell put it down to the fact Eveld came on strong as a senior when most Division I programs begin seeking quarterbacks in their junior season or earlier. But after a recent visit to the USF campus and considering his options, Tommy chose to stay close to home.

Tommy Eveld said USF was his dream school all along and is glad he will be a Bull.

“It didn’t turn out exactly like what I wanted it to but I’m happy with my decision. And with the quarterback situation there at USF, I think I will eventually have a shot at playing,” Tommy said. “I’ve been talking to a lot of coaches and spending a lot of time on this. Now I can concentrate on school and my studies. It’s a big relief.”

At South Florida, Eveld will join his brother, Bobby, who is a sophomore. He, too, was a recruited walk-on out of Jesuit in 2010. That season, he went on to appear in six games and started in the Bulls’ season finale against Cincinnati.

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Wharton athletes Litton, Enos, arrested

Posted Feb 9, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 9, 2012 at 03:01 PM

Wharton High football standouts Chase Litton and Rocky Enos, both 16-year-olds, were arrested Wednesday on multiple charges, both felony and misdemeanor, for burgarly and theft, Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office records show.

After being arrested and booked at the Orient Road jail, Litton, the Wildcats’ starting quarterback, was released a few hours later on his recognizance. Litton is also a starter on Wharton’s basketball team, which is scheduled to play Plant on Friday for the district title.

Enos, who started at linebacker last fall, was arrested at Wharton and released this morning from the Orient Road jail.

The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Litton earned the starting job at quarterback last season as a sophomore and Enos is a 5-11, 185-pound junior. Both players were honorable mention selections for the Tampa Tribune’s 2011 all-Hilsborough County football team.

Enos was arrested on a total of 10 charges and Litton was booked on 10. Each teenager is facing charges of third-degree felony burglary of unoccupied dwellings and vehicles, as well as theft (articles in value from $300 to $5,000). Both are also charged with petit theft.

Wharton football coach David Mitchell could not be immediately reached for comment.

Photo: Wharton sophomore QB Chase Litton in action last season against Durant. Photo by Kevin Howe/Tampa Tribune.

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Hargreaves, McQuay, Sherit make Rivals 100 list

Posted Feb 8, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 03:44 PM

And just like that, the college football recruiting engine has cranked up again.

Rivals.com helped kick-start that ever-growing, seemingly unstoppable snow ball today with the release of its top 100 prospects for the class of 2013. As subjective as it may be, making this list is a sure-fire way to attract attention. And after jumping to the No. 10 spot on the list, Wharton defensive back Vernon Hargreaves was taken aside by head coach David Mitchell today and given a little talk.

“I told him there’s no pressure on you because you’re the car everyone wants to buy,” Mitchell said. “I told him he just needs to take care of himself in school, do the right things out of school, work hard and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

“He needs to take all of his (official college recruiting) visits and don’t rush it. And I think with his dad being a (University of South Florida) coach (Bulls special tams coordinator and defensive ends coach Vernon Hargreaves), I think he will do just fine with the recruiting.”

The younger Hargreaves is only 5-foot-10 and 177 pounds, but Mitchell says he is “the real deal.” It’s not just Hargreaves’ ability to play the defensive secondary, it’s his total athletic ability. Hargreaves can play nearly any position on the field and last season saw duty at quarterback when starter Chase Litton went down with an injury.

Hargreaves already has offers from all the major schools in Florida, along with Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Purdue and Virginia. Mitchell says his mailbox at school is overflowing with colleges sending letters of interest in Hargreaves. Mitchell says Hargreaves also already has invitations from the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and Under Armour All-America Game.

Speaking of athletic, Armwood’s Leon McQuay III and Hillsborough’s Jordan Sherit also made the Rivals 100. McQuay, a defensive back/safety who returned an interception for a touchdown in the Hawks’ state championship win over Miami Central, is No. 32 on the list while Sherit, who recorded more than 100 tackles last fall at defensive end for the Terriers, is No. 76.

Both McQuay and Sherit also have more than a dozen offers from major Division-I football programs. And like Hargreaves, the schools lining up for their services on the football field.

The bonus for the schools recruiting these players is they are all solid students. Sherit is in Hillsborough’s International Baccalaureate program while both McQuay and Hargreaves are honor roll students. 

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Pasco WR Mike Larry to sign with junior college

Posted Feb 8, 2012 by Mike Camunas

Updated Feb 8, 2012 at 12:20 PM

Pasco receiver Mike Larry will sign with North Dakota State College of Science during a ceremony at Irvin Education Center on Thursday morning at 8:45, coach Tom McHugh said Wednesday.

Larry, a 6-foot-1 athlete who was part of the Class 5A state semifinalist Pirates, had 11 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown, while on defense, he returned a fumble against Zephyrhills, plus had 14 tackles and two fumble recoveries.

Larry will be the third Pirate football player to sign in the past week, as athlete Trey Dudley-Giles signed with UMass and Jon Baxter with Wayne State.

North Dakota State College of Science is a junior college located in Wahpeton, North Dakota.

Correspondent Mike Camunas can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or follow him on Twitter @MikeCamunasTrib.

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Former Wolfson head coach, Plant assistant Meyer joins Leto staff

Posted Feb 7, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 7, 2012 at 11:59 AM

Leto football coach Matt Kitchie added another impressive name to his staff this week with the addition of former Jackonville Wolfson head coach and former Plant assistant Greg Meyer.

The 34-year-old Meyer will serve as Kitchie’s defensive coordinator. He joins another former Plant assistant, Mo Harris, who was hired as running backs coach two weeks ago. Harris was offensive coordinator for Tampa Bay Tech last season.

“I’m not going to hide the fact I want what Plant has. We want to win a state championship at Leto,” Kitchie said. “With guys like Greg and Mo here, I’m hoping a little of that magic coach Weiner has developed at Plant will rub off over here.”

Meyer was Wolfson’s head coach the last two seasons, where he compiled a record of 5-15. Kitchie said Meyer wanted to return to his native Tampa area for family reasons and has already landed a teaching position at Leto. Meyer, a former tight end and center for Plant, was a junior varsity defensive line coach and varsity assistant under Panthers head coach Robert Weiner during the Panthers’ 2006 and 2008 championship season.

“The best part of this is that our kids are going to benefit tremendously from Greg and Mo. They’re great teachers and great people and I’m very fortunate to have them coming on board here.”

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Freedom’s Schaller signs with Stetson

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 03:00 PM

Freedom offensive lineman Kurt Schaller, a three year starter for the Patriots and a team captain last fall, has signed a letter of intent with Stetson University in DeLand, Fla.

The 5-foot-10, 285-pound Schaller is one of several area players who will be part of a Stetson football program that is returning to action in 2013 after a 57-year hiatus.

The Hatters’ football program will be competing in the Pioneer Football League, where most of the schools are private. The league, however, will be played at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) as a non-scholarship program.

The Pioneer Football League consists of teams in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. Member schools range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The league includes Butler, Campbell, Davidson, Dayton, Jacksonville, Drake, Marist, Morehead State, the University of San Diego and Valparaiso University. Stetson and Mercer join in 2013. All incoming players at Stetson and Mercer will earn redshirt status this fall.

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Armwood’s Callahan—Kirk Callahan—lands UCF post

Posted Feb 3, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 3, 2012 at 12:08 PM

At the end of the day, all Armwood football coach Sean Callahan says he really wants is to see his kids get an education, a good job and, of course, be happy.

So far, so good.

Callahan got some good news on that front late this week when his oldest son, 27-year-old Kirk, landed a job as a defensive backs coach at his alma mater, the University of Central Florida.

“There was no question he was going to get hired somewhere eventually,” Sean Callahan said. He’s very knowledgeable, he’s learned a lot from some outstanding coaches and is a good recruiter.

“I’m just very, very proud of him.”

After finishing his playing career at UCF, Kirk worked one season as an intern there under head coach George O’Leary. He then spent two years as an intern at the University of North Carolina, then landed a job as a graduate assistant at Florida. He coached one year under Urban Meyer and one under current coach Will Muschamp.

Sean Callahan said Kirk got a call from O’Leary late this week, drove to Orlando for an interview and was offered the job. Kirk then had to drive back to his home in Gainesville, gather his basic necessities to start the job today. Besides working with the defensive secondary, Kirk will likely be the recruiting coordinator for UCF in the Tampa Bay area.

“It’s a great opportunity for Kirk and a good-paying job,” Sean Callahan said. “He’s going to do well there and I think he’s going to be able to pull a lot of kids from this area.”

Meanwhile, Callahan’s daughter, Kristin, recently landed a good-paying job in the business sector of the Southwest Florida area and his youngest son, Casey, is playing linebacker at Stony Brook (N.Y.) University.

Photo: A 2002 photo of Armwood football coach Sean Callahan and his son, Kirk, who was a senior that year for the Hawks. Friday, Kirk began his job as an assistant at UCF.

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Nation’s fastest high schooler: Bracy

Posted Feb 2, 2012 by Bill Ward

Updated Feb 2, 2012 at 11:32 PM

With the indoor track season already underway and the outdoor season set to begin in just 10 days for Class 1A and 2A schools and the larger divisions starting Feb. 20, it’s time to ask, who’s the fastest?

Well, when it comes to local sprinters, the guys to beat are Alonso’s Brandon Holloway and Hillsborough’s Anthony Brown. Both are state medalists, with Holloway owning 100/200 PRs of clocking 10.54/21.28 and Brown clocking 10.58/21.60.

That’s fast, but Orlando Boone senior and Florida State signee Marvin Bracy threw down the challenge to all comers at last week’s indoor meet in Gainesville when he smashed the national record for 55 meters with his time of 6.08. Watch this video of his race and see his reaction time to the gun, his drive phase, finish and margin of victory. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv51o6DJmuQ

And these are not slugs he is racing. He isn’t even technically perfect yet, but he is already posting times close to current University of Florida star Jeff Demps and eclipsing prep records held by Olympian Justin Gatlin (2004 gold medalist, Athens).

If the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Bracy can stay healthy, he could wind up in this summer’s Olympic track trials in Eugene, Ore. Bracy is already the winner of a USA Track and Field Junior Championships title after winning the 100 last summer in the second-fastest time in Florida high school history, 10.05. Only Demps, co-holder of the junior world record (10.01), has run faster. Demps did that the summer after graduating high school at the 2008 Olympic trials.

So how fast is 55 meters indoors compared to the 100 outdoors? Well, there’s so many factors that make the two races totally different—like wind and endurance over the final 40 meters of a 100—that it’s almost useless to make comparisons. But according to the splits from the past world records, it would take a 60 meter split of approximately 6.47 to 6.53 to run the entire 100 meters distance under 10 flat. Bracy’s 55 meter time equates to about a 6.62 for the 60, so he’s probably close to running 10.10.

One thing is for sure: Bracy is the fastest prep sprinter in Florida right now. And probably in the nation, too.

Photo: Orlando Boone’s Marvin Bracy wears one of the two gold medals he won at last year’s Class 4A state track championships. Photo by Bill Ward.

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