High School Sports Blog

Coral Park reunion to be held, Aug. 7

If you happen to remember the way things were in Miami-Dade County back in the 1960s, you certainly appreciate how different events such as the Vietnam War and The Civil Rights Movement shaped the lives of so many.

If you also followed sports during that time in Miami, there were so many high school coaches who made a lasting impact on the young men they taught and coached. There were many life lessons learned.

At Coral Park Senior High, the 1960s were very special in all sports with coaches such as Frank Downing and Red Berry teaching football and baseball the right way, and some 43 years later, those very students are remembering the special times with a reunion.

On Friday, Aug. 7, Coral Park Senior High will honor athletes who made the 1960s such a special time with a 7:00 event at Tobacco Road, 626 S Miami Ave., Miami. 33130-3016. 

If you would like to be a part of this impressive reunion and attend the event, contact Coach Downing (410-745-5278), Coach Berry (305-279-2668) or Joel Furnari at (305-776-4138).

Killian football coaching change

   Miami Killian will try to keep its place as a football powerhouse under a new
coach next season.

   Cougars' coach Steve Smith has stepped down to take an assistant coaching position at
Duncanville High, a Class 5A school in Texas. Smith coached Killian for the past two
seasons, leading the Cougars to the Class 6A regional finals and a 10-3 record this past
season.

   "It's hard to leave a place where you've had success and had the chance to work with
a lot of great people, but this is a great situation for me to go to and I can't pass it
up,'' said Smith, who will coach the offensive linemen at Duncanville, which won a state
title in 1999.

   Killian athletic director Pete Hertler said Tuesday that the school has hired former
Southwest Miami assistant Cory Johnson as its new coach.

   Johnson was Southwest's defensive coordinator the past eight seasons, and helped the
Eagles earn winning records each of the past two years, along with its first district
championship. Johnson, a graduate of Killian in 1996, coached with Smith at Killian
during spring workouts as the defensive coordinator.

   "I'm ecstatic about the chance,'' Johnson said. "I'm very upbeat and competitive
and I want the kids here to adopt that identity and show the dedication it takes to
succeed.''

   Smith, who has lived the past 12 years in Miami, coached two seasons at Hialeah prior
to his stint at Killian. He compiled a 23-16 record during those four seasons and in
both cases led teams to winning records by his second year.

   Smith was also an assistant coach at Hollywood Chaminade under then-coach Mark
Guandolo whose teams won two state titles, and at Miami Southridge where the Spartans
reached the state championship game in 2000. Smith also coached briefly at FIU under
then-coach Don Strock.

   "I learned a lot and met a lot of great people,'' Smith said. "The opportunity came
up and I feel it's the right time to take it.''

South Florida Summer Football Showcase comes to Boca Raton, July 24-26

For football players looking to gain that edge on the competition, the 2009 South Florida Summer Showcase is the perfect opportunity. The event will be held July 24-26 at Boca Raton and beautiful St. Andrew's Prep School.

It is an instructional and exposure/recruiting camp, which will give athletes the opportunity to participate in positon-specific drills and competitions as well as receive in-depth film analysis with professional coaches who have played the game and know exactly what it takes to help you achieve your goals.

The event will also serve as an exposure showcase and a chance to be recognized by nationally respected Elite Scouting Services as well as the fan website, Scout.com. 

Additionally, kickers and punters will be evaluated for a chance to be ranked in the "Fab 50" National Rankings.

The camp is open to middle school students and up and costs $350 Commuter / $450 Residential.


Here is the schedule for the camp:
Friday, July 24
3:00-4:00 p.m.
Check-In
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Session I 
7:00
Dinner
8:00
Film Analysis
9:00
Commuter Pickup



Saturday, July 25
8:00 a.m.
Breakfast
9:00-11:00 a.m.
Session II
12:00
Lunch
1:00-3:00 p.m.
Free Time
3:00-5:00 p.m.

Session III 
6:00 p.m.
Dinner
7:00 p.m.
Film Analysis
8:00 p.m.
Commuter Pickup



Sunday, July 26
7:00 a.m.
Wake-Up
7:30 a.m.
Breakfast/Chapel (optional)
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Session IV
11:30 a.m.
Awards
12:00 p.m.
Camp Dismissal



For more information on the event of the summer, contact Ken Mastrole for more information about the camp at 239-919-4325 or Coach Kornblue (561) 702-0203. coach@mastrolepassing.com or visit www.summershowcasecamp.com.

Michael Palardy to Tennessee!

After months of visiting colleges and listening to what many had to offer, St. Thomas Aquinas kicker/punter Michael Palardy made his decision.

Rated as the No. 1 prospect at his position nationally, it came down to the University of Tennessee and LSU. On Thursday night, the talented special teams player made his exclusive announcement on the Miami Dolphins High School Gridiron Show on WQAM (560 AM) with D.A. and Larry Blustein.

"It's Tennessee," Palardy said.

His decision to attend Tennessee came down to his meetings with head coach Lane Kiffin and assistant coach Eddie Gran, who had recruited former St. Thomas Aquinas standout Wes Byrum when he was at Auburn.

"Knoxville felt like home," Palardy said. "Coming from Fort Lauderdale, it gave me a sense of being in a city and a small town all rolled into one."

As a junior, Palardy had three field goals, including a long of 33 yards. He was 76 of 78 on extra-point attempts and was remembered for his booming kickoffs in the state championship win over Lakeland.

Palardy becomes yet another major college prospect who was groomed by Tim Conrad. The "guru" of special teams performers has sent several kickers on to some of the top programs in the country, with Byrum and Michigan State senior Brett Swenson being among the most recognized.

ROBISKIE TO WESTERN ILLINOIS
From the time he entered school at Chaminade-Madonna, receiver Kyle Robiskie was just looking to make a name for himself.

The son of former Miami Dolphins' coach Terry Robiskie, and the brother of former Ohio State and current Cleveland Browns standout Brian Robiskie, who made the move to Cardinal Gibbons for his senior season, had the chance to stand in his own spotlight on Thursday when he made his own collegiate decision.

The 6-1, 180-pounder announced that he will be attending Western Illinois University.

"Great decision for Kyle," said Offensive Coordinator Matt Dubuc. "He is the kind of young man who continued to get better and better, and I believe his best years are certainly ahead of him."

Tournmant of Champions 7-on-7 event

The 7-on-7 tour continues for high school football teams around Florida on Saturday, July 11, when the Tournament of Champions will host the 3rd annual Nike 7 ON 7 Football Challenge at Miramar Regional Park (16801 Miramar Parkway).

Highlighting the 16 team event are the Central Rockets, which will be making their first 7-on-7 appearance of the summer.

Led by the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the state, Jeffrey Godfrey, as well as running back Brandon Gainer and receiver Joshua Reese, the high-scoring Rockets will be joined by Edison, Norland, Jackson, Miramar, Ely, Stranahan, Ft Lauderdale, Woods Haven Prep (formerly Westlake Prep), Christopher Columbus, Miami Springs, North Miami and a Boyd Anderson squad that finished second in the Heath Evans 7-on-7 tournament, and made the final four of the Miami Dolphins Academy event.

"Having watched all these programs perform this spring and summer, I can tell you that this is a very good event with lots of talent," said Charles Fishbein of Elite Scouting Services. "I can tell you that this is a tournament that has over 50 Division 1-A prospects."

Fans will have the chance to see some of the elite prospects in South Florida, including a number of the Miami Herald's top Pre-Summer elite players for the Class of 2010 and 2011.

The Herald, which is the only organization in Florida to have identified the top players for the Classes of 2010, 2011 and 2012 in Miami-Dade and Broward County, will be on hand to further promote the athletes from all schools – big and small.

"A tournament like this brings some of the programs out who never get the exposure they deserve," Fishbein added. "While we have watched everyone in the two counties, there are fans who haven't, and a tournament like this will give those teams and players a chance to showcase their many, many skills."

Action gets started at 8:30 a.m.