High School Sports Blog

Area football teams ready to crown nation’s best at IMG7v7

BRADENTON, Fla. – The National 7v7 Football Association (NFA7v7) will kick off the third annual IMG7v7 National Championship on the campus of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., June 21. The three-day, season-ending event features many of the nation’s elite club 7v7 teams who qualified through a series of regional championships held around the country. This year’s event includes the addition of the Future STARS division, featuring top middle school players (7th and 8th grade) from the state of Florida, as well as the return of the High School division, showcasing top high school 7v7 squads from Florida, Georgia and Mississippi.

“The NFA7v7 experienced tremendous success with its IMG7v7 event series this year,” remarked Blake Ulrich, Director of Events for IMG Performance, the managing arm of the NFA 7v7. “The quality of play and talent on the field was beyond our expectations at each local and regional event. We are excited that a dozen states, and Canada, will be represented in our national championship, indicating the tremendous growth of 7v7 across the nation.”

The full list of Club, High School and Future STARS teams includes:

Club Division: Team Tampa (Tampa, Fla.); South Florida Fire (Miami, Fla.); South Florida Express Elite (Miami, Fla.); Central Florida Top Recruits (Orlando, Fla.); Cam Newton All-Stars (Atlanta, Ga.); AWP Sports (Ft. Wayne, Ind.); Bootleggers (New Orleans, La.); Core 6 Athletes Red (Chicago, Ill.); Windy City BOOM (Chicago, Ill.); North Carolina Elite (Charlotte, N.C.); South Florida Blur (Miami, Fla.); Midwest Elite (Detroit, Mich.); College Ready Athletics (Washington D.C./Northern Va.); Go Hard Elite (Louisville, Ky.); Team Delaware (Wilmington, Del.); D-Block (Knoxville, Tenn.); Tennessee Xpress Blue (Nashville, Tenn.); IDFFL (Toronto, Canada); A&B Athletics (Denver, Colo.); Tennessee Xpress Gold (Nashville, Tenn.); Gulf Coast BKS (Gulfport, Miss.); Top Gun (Chicago, Ill.); Winning Strategy (Miami, Fla.); and La Villa (Edinburg, Texas).

High School Division: Vero Beach HS (Vero Beach, Fla.); Stephenson HS (Lithonia, Ga.); North Cobb HS (Kennesaw, Ga.); Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.); Lakewood HS (St. Petersburg, Fla.); Mount Dora HS (Mount Dora, Fla.); Lincoln HS (Tallahassee, Fla.); and Strawberry Crescent HS (Dover, Fla.).

Future STARS Division: Change Factor (Tampa, Fla.); Team 904 (Jacksonville, Fla.); Tallahassee All-Stars (Tallahassee, Fla.); Palm Beach All-Stars (Palm Beach County, Fla.); North Broward All-Stars (Broward County, Fla.); South Broward All-Stars (Broward County, Fla.); North Dade All-Stars (Dade County, Fla.); South Dade All-Stars (Dade County, Fla.); and Kendall All-Stars (Kendall, Fla.).

The IMG7v7 National Championship is proud to continue its relationship with the Cam Newton Foundation, and will again host the Cam Newton Skills Challenge on Friday, June 21 from 4-6 p.m. In its second year, Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton returns to lead the competitive and fun kick-off event. The Cam Newton Skills Challenge is open to all IMG7v7 National Championship participants, and will feature a variety of physical challenges and an obstacle course.

The IMG7v7 National Championship will be broadcast this year on Fox Sports College, and will host national recruiting media from across the country, providing a unique opportunity for exposure. Players and coaches will also engage in educational college recruiting seminars, and have access to all the latest in sports performance products from IMG Performance sponsors like Under Armour, Gatorade, ALINE, Trigger Point, SPRI and beRecruited.com.

The event is open to the public, and admission is free. In addition to high-tempo 7v7 football, all participants and the general public are invited on Friday, June 21 to attend an informational seminar on NFA7v7 at 2:00 p.m. and an open seminar on NCAA rules and recruiting guidelines at 3:00 p.m.

Pool play starts Saturday, June 22, from 9a.m. – 4p.m., with the first round of the double-elimination tournament to begin at 5 p.m. The tournament continues on Sunday, June 23, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., with an awards ceremony to follow.

Carol City Edges Jackson to win Dolphins Academy 7-on-7

MIAMI GARDENS - Carol City High narrowly edged Miami Jackson High, 28-21, in a thrilling matchup that featured two of Dade County’s premier teams to win the 6th annual Miami Dolphins Academy 7-on-7 High School Football Tournament Presented by Under Armour and the National Guard at Sun Life Stadium. The Chiefs came up with a crucial 4th down stop with 47 seconds remaining to win the title and will now represent South Florida and the Miami Dolphins in the 2013 HSPD National Championship in Cleveland, Ohio on July 11-14.

“You talk about a fourth down play, just seconds on the clock and a chance to go to Cleveland. You probably had three or four guys giving a great effort trying to knock the ball down,” first-year Carol City head coach Aubrey Hill said. “Great effort is going to give you a chance to win games, and that was an example on that play.”

Carol City came out on top from a field of over 50 schools from the tri-county area that participated in the three-day event. Carol City advanced to the championship game after defeating Boyd Anderson in the quarterfinals and Miramar in the semifinals.

“It feels good representing South Florida and putting our school on the map,” Carol City quarterback Trayon Gray said. “We came out on top, an it feels real good.”

The three-day event began with the HSPD Symposium at Nova Southeastern University on Friday, June 14. The event focused on character development and life skills training. A variety of guest speakers, including Miami Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland, Dolphins Youth Programs Director Twan Russell, Dolphins long snapper John Denney, Dolphins team physician Dr. Gautam Yagnik and Under Armour’s George Hegamin, gave the students practical life lessons and advice aimed to help them as they enter adulthood.

The tournament got underway on Saturday with Round Robin games and the first rounds of the playoffs. The final eight teams competed on Sunday, ultimately ending with Carol City’s victory.

“Overall, it was a successful weekend. I felt the kids learned a lot from our guest speakers about life skills and lessons that will benefit their future,” Russell said. “The weekend ended on a great note with an excellent game. I am happy for Carol City, and I look forward to them representing us and South Florida in the National Championship in Cleveland.”

The Dolphins and South Florida have had great success in past National Championships. Most recently, Booker T. Washington won the 2012 National Tournament to become the fourth team to represent the Dolphins and win the tournament.

Photo Courtesy/Miami Dolphins

Davone Bess gives back to local high school

Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver DAVONE BESS will donate a $1,500 equipment grant to a Miami high school football program through USA Football, the official youth football development partner of the Dolphins and the NFL.

USA Football named Bess to its 2012 All-Fundamentals Team in January, honoring 26 NFL players who employ proper technique, particularly when blocking and tackling, which fosters inherent safety benefits and better on-field performance. As an All-Fundamentals Team player, Bess received an equipment grant valued at $1,500 from USA Football to donate to the youth or high school program of his choice. Bess will award his grant to Edison Senior High School.

Bess’ exceptional footwork allows him to smoothly get in and out of breaks to gain separation from defenders. His ability to remain focused, use his body as a shield and proper hand positioning to catch the ball in traffic makes him a strong target on third down and in key situations.

“We are very appreciative of this grant, which could not have come at a better time. Our football program for the past three seasons has not had the quantity of equipment needed to serve all of our student-athletes – particularly from the waist area and below,” Miami Edison Senior High School principal TRY K. DIGGS said. “We have been able to improvise in a safe manner to make sure our players are legally equipped, but this has caused us to not have as many kids participate in our dynamic football program.

“With the addition of 60 compression girdles and 60 pairs of knee pads, we will ensure that our program can dress at the very least 30 more students, which will do wonders for the junior varsity component of the team.”

Employing core football fundamentals advances a youth player’s performance and safety, particularly in the areas of blocking and tackling. USA Football has educated more than 100,000 youth football coaches in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., through its online courses and single-day coaching clinics. Approximately 2.8 million American children age 6-14 play organized tackle football, placing it among the country’s most popular youth sports.

The USA Football All-Fundamentals Team was assembled with guidance by a five-person selection committee:

TOM CARTER, NFLPA player advocate and former NFL defensive back
CHARLES DAVIS, USA Football spokesperson, football analyst for NFL Network and FOX Sports
HERM EDWARDS, ESPN NFL analyst and former NFL head coach
MERRIL HOGE, USA Football board member, ESPN NFL analyst and former NFL running back
CARL PETERSON, USA Football chairman, former NFL team executive and assistant coach

More on past USA Football All-Fundamentals Team players’ techniques is available at:
www.usafootball.com/all-fundamentals-team.

Central, Booker T., Aquinas, University nationally ranked by MaxPreps

South Florida's four defending state champions will each open the season ranked nationally by CBS Max Preps, which released its preseason Top 25 poll Monday morning.

Central, last year's Class 6A champs and winners of two of the past three state crowns in that classification, will debut at No. 2 behind top-ranked De La Salle (Ca.).

Booker T. Washington, the defending Class 4A champs, are ranked No. 9.

St. Thomas Aquinas, which won its seventh state title last year winning Class 7A, is ranked No. 16.

University School, a first-time state champ in Class 3A last year, is ranked No. 24.

The only other Florida team ranked was defending Class 8A champ Apopka, which beat Cypress Bay in a memorable 53-50 thriller last year.

-Central will be under the tutelage of new coach and former Northwestern coach Roland Smith, who was hired last month to replace Telly Lockette following his departure to coach running backs at the University of South Florida.

Central's schedule includes an opening date with Plantation American Heritage, a Week 2 showdown with Booker T. Washington, a Sept. 21 road date at Don Bosco Prep (NJ), and a regular-season finale against University School in addition to a tough district slate that includes Northwestern, Norland, Carol City and Homestead.

-Booker T. already showed last weekend how strong it still is by walloping St. Pete Lakewood 62-14. The Tornadoes face a brutal opening stretch that begins with an Aug. 24 road game at Norcross High, Georgia's defending large school state champ, which is ranked No. 3 by MaxPreps. Booker T. then faces Central, Carol City, and later on Northwestern and a road date at MaxPreps No. 25 Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas (Oct. 4). Adding to the tough task of repeating is the fact that University moved up to Class 4A creating a potential huge second-round playoff clash between the two defending state champs.

-St. Thomas has reloaded despite losing a few key players on the offensive side of the ball and should still have one of the strongest defenses and offensive lines in the nation. The Raiders open with a highly-anticipated showdown with Northwestern Aug. 31 at Sun Life Stadium and will take on perennial Louisiana state champion and defending consensus national champion John Curtis Christian, ranked No. 8 by MaxPreps, on Sept. 13 at the Superdome.

-University School returns numerous key players on both sides of the ball and faces its most daunting schedule to date. The Suns take on Homestead (preseason), Miami Central, Norland, Belle Glade Glades Central, Bradenton Manatee, Cypress Bay and Boyd Anderson, and could potentially square off with Booker T. in the regional final round of Class 4A.

Former UM star, Northeast football coach Donnell Bennett hired at Coral Springs Christian

Coral Springs Christian hired former University of Miami running back and Northeast High coach Donnell Bennett to lead its football program on Thursday.

"My kids go to school here and I just thought it would be a lot of fun to be around them," said Bennett, whose eldest son Donnell Jr., 12, is entering the eighth grade and plays on the middle school team there.

Bennett, 40, officially resigned at Northeast in March. The former second round pick who spent eight seasons in the NFL led the Hurricanes to a combined 31-17 record and four playoff appearances in his four seasons there.

He takes over a Class 2A program which finished 5-4-1 last season under Monte Gonzalez and returns 10 two-way players from a roster of 18.

"I haven't even met with the team yet," Bennett said. "My [coaching] staff, all that has to be figured out."

St. Thomas Aquinas, Nike hosts football camps

Saint Thomas Aquinas High School and NIKE have teamed up to bring you south Florida’s best football camp with two sessions. The camp will be held on the campus of St. Thomas Aquinas High School (2801 SW 12th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312). Instructions will be given by Head Coach Rocco Casullo and his assistant coaches - along numerous former and current NFL players, many of which are St. Thomas alumni.

Session One will be July 22-24 (8 a.m.- 12 noon). Session Two will be held from July 29-31 (8 a.m.- 12 noon).

The camp is open to youngsters, entering 3rd grade to 9th grade (FALL OF 2013). Price: $199.00…Cash or check. Please make checks out to Saint Thomas Aquinas Inc. Team rate of $149.00 for 5 players from one team.

FOCUS OF THE CAMP
Athletes will be given instruction in all areas of the sport of football. They’ll have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of various offensive and defensive positions from the best coaches in Florida, including current and former NFL players. Many of the St Thomas Alumni will be at the camp including some of the 14 current NFL players who played High School Football at St. Thomas There will be an intermediate experience for athletes entering grade 7-8 on an athlete’s position-specific skill including 7 on 7 drills.

Throughout camp, athletes will be given instructions on proper stretch and strength and conditioning.

BOMMARITO PERFORMANCE
Bommarito is a sports performance training team that has been preparing & developing athletes in the South Florida area for over 10 years.  With experience training athletes in individual programming as well as entire team-based training with world class programs like St. Thomas Aquinas Football, BPS’s experience in training athletes from 7 to Pro focuses on developing the skills and fundamentals necessary to improve the speed of movement and strength in character of our athletes.

KEN MASTROLE’S ELITE PASSING ACADEMY
Ken Mastrole has been working with quarterbacks for over 11 years. He teaches with the same principles that have made high school, college, and NFL quarterbacks and receivers successful. Understanding that each quarterback and receiver are unique is the very essence of the position is founded upon what a player can handle mentally, how quickly he processes that information and how he gets his physical tools to translate into consistent production in regards to decision-making and knowledge of the game. Mastrole Academy teaches the proper throwing and receiving mechanics to help you reach your fullest potential.

CONTACT AND QUESTIONS
Please call the Football Offices: 954-513-2274 or email Coach Casullo at Aquinasfootball@aquinas-sta.org

Miami Northwestern's booster club to host golf tournament Saturday, raise money for recruiting trip

Miami Northwestern's Booster Club is hosting its Second Annual Bulls on the Green Golf Tournament this coming Saturday, June 1st at The Country Club of Miami.

Here is a press release regarding the event:

The overall purpose of the Bulls Booster Club, Inc. is to financially support, promote, and advance student participation in athletics and academics at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. BBC works closely with the faculty and staff of the school to ensure they have the support necessary to equip the students of Miami Northwestern with the tools necessary for their academic success. Additionally, the Bulls Booster Club supports all extracurricular endeavors of students at Northwestern.

Football coach Stephen Field has set a goal to have the entire senior class recruited by a college or university to advance their academic career. To help meet this goal, Coach Field has planned a trip for the team to attend football camps and tour various college campuses this summer. We are relying on fundraising and sponsorships to help cover the additional costs for this trip. Your support and participation in this golf tournament will assist to cover the transportation, gas, lodging and food expenses.

We are thrilled to be hosting this annual event however we need your support to make it a success. We invite you to participate in this year’s event as a sponsor. Through your generous donation we can continue the work we have undertaken to ensure all of our students have the tools necessary to equip them for success. Your assistance will impact the student athletes of Miami Northwestern who strive for greatness in all they do.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Robin Mims at 305-785-6719.

Miami Dolphins 7-on-7 tournament, June 14-16

The 6th Annual Miami Dolphins 7-on-7 High School Football Tournament, Presented by Under Armour and the National Guard, will be held from Friday June 14-Sunday, June 16th.

The three-day event begins on Friday, June 14 with a symposium focusing on character development and specific skill training. The character development portion includes guest speakers, including NFL players and coaches. The high school players will be taught practical life lessons and preparation for standardized tests, along with discussions on life after high school, personal development and community service.

On-field components of the NFL’s High School Player Development (HSPD) program include fundamental skill development by position, reviews and individual competitions. As part of on-field training, players focus on both an offensive and a defensive position and eventually apply their newly-learned fundamentals to live drills.

SOUTH FLORIDA IS REPRESENTED

Over 40 high school teams from the Tri-county area and Southwest Florida will be represented at the event, including: Hialeah American, Miami Archbishop Curley, Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely, Miami Braddock, Miami Booker T. Washington, Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian, West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman, Miami Carol City, Miami Christopher Columbus, Miami Coral Reef, Coral Springs, Coral Springs Charter, Fort Lauderdale Dillard, Parkland Douglas, palm Beach Gardens Dwyer, Pembroke Pines Flanagan, Fort Lauderdale, Belle Glade Glades Central, Hialeah, Homestead, Greenacres John I. Leonard, Jupiter Christian, Hialeah Mater Academy, Miami Country Day, Miami Edison Senior, Miami Jackson, Miami Killian Senior, Miami Pace, Miami Springs, Miramar, Coconut Creek Monarch, North Miami Mourning Senior, Miami Norland, Palm Beach Lakes, South Plantation, Fort Lauderdale Stranahan, Coral Springs Taravella, Davie University School and Vero Beach.

The high school football tournament will begin on Saturday, June 15 at 8:00 a.m. The tournament will consist of Round Robin play and then move into a single elimination format. The final 8 teams will play on Sunday, June 16 at Sun Life Stadium that will crown one high school football champion.

BTW DEFENDS A NATIONAL TITLE

The winning high school team will represent South Florida and the Miami Dolphins in the 2013 HSPD National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio on July 11th – 14th. Former winners Booker T. Washington and Glades Central have won the national championship in previous years.

In addition to the high school football tournament, the Youth Football 7-on-7 Tournament will also take place at Central Park in Plantation on Saturday, June 15 at 2 p.m. after the conclusion of the high school portion for that day.

SUMMARY OF EVENTS

Friday, June 14 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. – Symposium held on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Davie (3301 College Avenue, Davie, FL 33314)

Saturday, June 15
8 a.m. - 2 p.m. – 7-on-7 games at Central Park in Plantation (9151 NW 2nd Street, Plantation, FL 33324)
2 p.m. – 7 p.m. – 7-on-7 games at Central Park in Plantation for Youth Football Players (9151 NW 2nd Street, Plantation, FL 33324)

Sunday June 16
9 a.m. – 7 on 7 Championship Games at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens (347 Don Shula Drive, Miami Gardens, FL 33056).

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MIAMI DOLPHINS.

Columbus, Dolphins host free football clinic

This Saturday, May 18th, from 9am until 12 noon, the Christopher Columbus High School coaching staff in conjunction with the Miami Dolphins is hosting its 10th Annual Free Youth Coaches Clinic.

The Clinic will begin in the cafeteria for a brief introduction, then there will be a shortened practice followed by refreshments and breakout sessions by position.

If you have any questions please call Coach Merritt at 786-295-2350 or email cmerritt@columbushs.com

Overtown Optimist, Brandon Harris ‘NO FLY ZONE’ Football Camp

Overtown Optimist Club Presents NFL Houston Texans CB Brandon Harris “NO FLY ZONE” Youth League 7-on-7 Flag Football Camp, taking place at City of Miami Parks & Recreation’s Gibson Park, Curtis Park, and Moore Park Stadiums on Saturday June 1st, June 8th, June 15th and Sunday June 23rd, 2013 from 9:00AM-3:00PM featuring South Florida’s top youth football teams in competition.

Overtown Optimist Club Presents NFL Houston Texans CB Brandon Harris “NO FLY ZONE” Youth League 7-on-7 Flag Football Camp will take place in the City of Miami for the first time to nurture sportsmanship, competition and athletic training to the youth teams from all of South Florida. Brandon Harris “NO FLY ZONE” Youth League 7-on-7 Flag Football Camp will feature 3 weekends of 7-on-7 football tournament play, Nike SPARQ Combine Training for ALL athletes participating and a Youth League Coaching Clinic on June 15, 2013 - FREE of charge.

The Brandon Harris “NO FLY ZONE” Youth League 7-on-7 Flag Football Camp is a FREE service to the community and all participants. Event Times will be 9:00AM-3:00PM. The Tournament play will be devised of 4 age groups: Seniors (15-14), Juniors (13-12), Sophomores (12-11) and Freshmen (10-9). There are 8 teams per age group and space is first come first serve. ALL South Florida Youth Football Leagues are invited. To enter teams or for more information – Contact: Tim “ICE” Harris timiceharris@gmail.com or Torian Bean torianbean@gmail.com .

The Overtown Optimist Club is a cooperative agreement amongst local organizations throughout South Florida to provide summer recreational/semi-competitive level flag football for participants ages 9-15. The camp strives to create a fun environment for youth to increase their physical activity, learn sportsmanship and skills that will help those succeed in future endeavors both on and off the field.