High School Belle Glades Central

[osugrad21]

Glades Central

Sun Sentinel

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Football players hope to get attention of colleges[/FONT]

By Larry Blustein
Special Correspondent
Posted April 7 2006
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[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Joining several teammates and a number of Palm Beach County area standouts, Berry headed to McArthur High in Hollywood on March 25 for the MSL Combine, which attracted more than 400 top players from Fort Myers to Miami.

As a running back/defensive back, Berry was one of the elite juniors in Florida. Now, he is being mentioned as one of the top senior prospects in the country.

"Coming to Glades Central is an honor," Berry said. "The tradition is amazing, and now I have the chance to play for one of the best teams in the country."

Berry was one of the players who impressed coaches such as former Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jerry Robinson. Robinson, regarded as one of the top 100 football players of all time, knows something about spotting young athletes.

"You look at a young man like Damien Berry and have to be impressed," Robinson said. "He has speed, strength and athletic ability. I have written down his name and will follow him over the next few years."

The move to Glades Central means Berry will have time to concentrate on playing defense instead of playing offense as well.

As a running back, he is quick and elusive. As someone who can play anywhere in the secondary, much as his father did at Miami, he is giving himself the chance to attract college coaches.

"Now, I will have the chance to get better, not having to play every down," Berry said.

Berry's first opportunity to make an impression will come on the last Saturday in August when the Raiders travel to South Carolina to take on standout quarterback Willy Korn and nationally rated Byrnes High in a televised game on ESPN.

"The perfect chance for me to jump onto the national radar," Berry said. "This is such a great thing for me to be a part of."

Berry was one of many players attending the MSL Combine. Atlantic linebacker Jacob Peterson and John I. Leonard tight end Nick Provo made an impression as well.

Peterson and Provo will be among the top 20 prospects in Palm Beach County heading into spring. Both enjoyed the experience of working with some of the former NFL coaches on hand.

"It was crowded, but it was a very good event," Peterson said. "Right now, I am looking forward to spring practice and getting ready for my final year."

Lake Worth linebacker Nick Gonzalez, lineman Joseph Looney and quarterback Star Jackson attended the workouts as did Atlantic defensive back Karnell Hatcher and West Boca lineman A.J. Ganguzza. Ganguzza and Berry were selected among the Elite 22 players in attendance.

"That young man [Ganguzza] has all the tools to play at a high level," said recruiting analyst Charles Fishbein of MSLSports.net. "He really made an impression on a lot of people. Coming to an event like this is very important for all high school football players."

Berry's teammates were also out in force in Hollywood. Led by star receiver Deonte Thompson, the Raiders also brought quarterback Bryan Mann, Tarus McKinley, Jatavious Jackson and Ernest McCoy.

Larry Blustein can be reached at [email protected].
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[osugrad21]

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<!-- Default to right-aligned table --><!--startclickprintinclude--><!-- // BEGINNING OF CONTENT // --> <!--begintext--> Area's football stars under watchful eyes

By Lindsay Jones
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 18, 2006


BELLE GLADE — Several Glades Central football players were taking a quick break from spring practice last week for a drink of water when one swatted the other on the shoulder.
"Hey man, that's Larry Coker," the player said, his eyes growing wide when he realized the University of Miami coach was just several feet away, pacing the sideline of the Glades Central practice field.
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Coker, wearing black slacks, a white Miami polo and Hurricanes ballcap, could hardly hide as he spied on a seven-on-seven drill.
<!--begintext--> Coker couldn't talk to any of the players who surrounded him, but he — along with two assistants who stood nearby — carefully studied the field full of potential college recruits.
"I just like to see the kids play," Coker said. "And for the head coaches, it's just important that the kids see that you're there. When I go to a practice, they're going to know I'm there."
Coker was just one of a handful of high-profile Division I college coaches to pass through Palm Beach County, and specifically Glades Central, during the past two weeks of spring practice — an increasingly important time for college coaches to recruit their next batch of players.
Florida's Urban Meyer and Rutgers' Greg Schiano — a former Hurricanes assistant — watched a full two-hour practice Wednesday, while Notre Dame's Charlie Weis met with coaches on campus Monday.
Spring represents one of the only chances for head coaches to see players in action. They've seen film and can watch recruits at senior day camps in April, but because of NCAA rules and their own demanding fall schedules, head coaches rarely get to see players in person until after their senior year is over.
"Spring is very, very critical," Boca Raton coach Rick Swain said. "After that, it's all video."
At spring practices, conversations with players are prohibited, but in-depth talk with coaches and school staff is not. The coaches are allowed one phone call in May, along with unlimited text messaging, e-mailing and instant messaging.
Meyer, who had two assistants in tow Wednesday, said the spring recruiting period is an invaluable time to learn things about a player that he can't see just from watching video tape. Meyer, who also has visited high schools throughout Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and the Northeast this spring, said he likes to meet not only with coaches but also principals and teachers to get full reports on the players he hopes to entice to Gainesville.
Meyer said he knows that although his assistants do much of the recruiting in-season, the class the Gators end up with on national signing day in February ultimately is a reflection on him, and that's why he must start recruiting early.
"There are people who say they want to get the head coaches out of it, but I'm opposed to that," Meyer said. "I know we better win or it's my butt on the line."
Glades Central has emerged as the county's hot recruiting spot this spring thanks to a star-studded incoming senior class led by wide receiver Deonte Thompson, who is rated as one of the top receivers in the nation.
Thompson, who has scholarship offers from at least 20 schools — including Florida, Miami, Southern California and Notre Dame — said he wants to wait to commit to a school so scouts will continue to visit and hopefully offer scholarships to his teammates.
Glades Central players have had plenty of chances to show off this spring. Wednesday alone, nine coaches from five colleges milled around the field. Assistants from at least 50 colleges have visited Belle Glade this month, as well as visiting other schools in coastal Palm Beach County.
Glades Central defensive back Damien Berry, who transferred from Suncoast last fall, said seeing the crowd of coaches has energized the Raiders this spring. Berry, who is looking at Miami, Florida and Florida State among others, is hoping he has made a special impression that will lead to more scholarship offers.
"I want them to see my leadership," Berry said. "So I've got to be in the front of the line, leading every drill, keeping the energy from dropping.
"It's an honor to know people are looking at you from all over the country."


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5/19

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica] <small id="column-title">High schools</small> [/FONT]
<hr noshade="noshade" size="1">[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]<big id="columnist-name">Shandel Richardson</big>
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</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <!-- End rail --> [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Talented Raiders to make debut in spring game[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica]Thompson leads group full of standouts.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Published May 16, 2006[/FONT]

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[FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Verdana,Arial, Helvetica] One of the most anticipated seasons in Glades Central football history begins this week. The Raiders will play at Daytona Beach Mainland in their spring game. It will serve as the debut for what some are calling the most talented team in Belle Glade in recent years. The Raiders are loaded with talent and will likely receive a national ranking when the regular season begins.

Glades Central features one of the nation's top receivers in senior Deonte Thompson, who has received scholarship offers from nearly every major university. The 6-foot, 185-pound Thompson has only improved after a junior season that earned him All-County honors from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He is flanked by senior Tarus McKinley, who is also receiving lots of interest. McKinley, the younger brother of former Glades Central standout Randy Phillips (now playing cornerback at Miami), is the perfect complement, and quarterback Bryan Mann should have several options.

Mann was also a first-team performer last year and is drawing interest from a few Southeastern Conference schools.

Then there's junior Deandre Holley, who could be the team's top athlete. Holley can play running back, wide receiver or quarterback.

The Raiders also received a big lift on offensive and defensive when Damien Berry transferred from Suncoast. Berry was injured most of last season, but will be one of the area's most heavily recruited players. As a sophomore, he earned All-County honors and has the ability to score on either side of the ball.

Other spring games include American Heritage-Delray against Palm Beach Central, which features Tyler McDermott, who is one of the county's top linemen. Pahokee will face Immokalee in a game that should feature lots of talent. Another interesting game is Class 1B Jupiter Christian playing King's Academy of Class 2B. The game will give Jupiter Christian running back Cedrick Epps a chance to play up a level after dominating 1B. He has rushed for more than 2,000 yards and led the state in scoring.[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[scooter1369]

The Raiders will play at Daytona Beach Mainland in their spring game.

Go Bucs!!! Class of '90 baby!!

 

[ysubuck]

"Hey man, that's Larry Coker," the player said, his eyes growing wide when he realized the University of Miami coach was just several feet away, pacing the sideline of the Glades Central practice field.

"Yeah," said another player, "he's going to be our equipment manager after next season."

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[stxbuck]

OSU has a good shot w/ those Belle Glade kids-they value family ties down there, and Deonte Thompson is cousin to Santonio Holmes, and possibly Dukes-Dukes and Holmes are also cousins.
A story I have heard as to the reason why the Belle Glade kids are so fast and quick is quite interesting. In the spring, the sugar cane fields outside of town are burned to prepare for the spring planting. The fire drives hundreds of rabbits out of the fields, and all the little kids are waiting w/ knives and sticks to catch and kill the fleeing rabbits for food-kinda like the chicken drill in Rocky, but faster......

 

[osugrad21]

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Coaches talk of big game

JASON GILMER, Staff Writer
Published June 7, 2006

DUNCAN -- There are plenty of similarities in the Byrnes football program and that of Glades Central (Fla.), the team the Rebels will play in a nationally televised game on Aug. 26.
Winning programs, a large number of returning starters, star power and an open date are a few of them.
Glades Central coach Willie Snead was in Duncan on Tuesday for a friendly meeting with Byrnes coach Bobby Bentley and to check out the facilities his team will use when they play at Nixon Field.
The two coaches, along with Rashid Ghazi, partner of the Paragon Marketing Group that is promoting the game, sat down and discussed some particulars about the game that afternoon.
Ghazi's group did a similar game between Hoover (Ala.) and Nease (Fla.) last year for ESPN, the same network that will carry the noon game this fall.
"This day has become a showcase for high school football because there is no college or NFL football," Ghazi said. "We've been tracking Byrnes' success quite a bit. We look for teams that are exciting and we look for star players."
Glades Central has 17 starters returning and 14 of those have Division I scholarship offers. Wide receiver Deonte Thompson is considered the biggest-named recruit for Glades Central.
The Rebels currently have three players committed to Division I programs and another with an offer.
"We have a pretty good nucleus coming back. It's the second year in this system, they are very confident about the coming season," said Snead, who is a 1984 graduate of the school and former player for the Houston Oilers.
The two teams spread the ball out and enjoying scoring points, something that intrigued Ghazi.
"I thought it'd be a great matchup. It doesn't all ways work out that way, but we want to provide the best match-up possible in terms of talent against talent," he said. "Byrnes is use to blowing teams out and (Glades) averages 30 or 35 points. We don't want to do a game that 42-7. We want to put on a game in which both teams are challenged."
ESPN crews will arrive in Duncan the Friday before the game and the broadcast begins at noon. Commentators for the game haven't been announced yet, but Ghazi said ESPN is working on those.
Byrnes coach Bobby Bentley said that he hopes the day isn't just about the football. He hopes to make it a family-friendly day.
Though everything hasn't been finalized, Bentley said he hopes to have a Kids Zone on the morning of the game, with attractions for young fans on the baseball and soccer fields.
Music and a message from a Fellowship of Christian Athletes speaker will also highlight the morning.
"Basically, a big tailgating party from 8:30 (a.m.) to 11 (a.m.)," Bentley said.

 

[osugrad21]

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Fla. coach ticketed in incident at Byrnes
Duncan chief charges man lied when asked about taping football scrimmage

By Bob Castello
STAFF WRITER
[email protected]

<!-- ARTICLE BODY WELL --><!-- STORY TEXT --> <!--STORY TEXT--> Byrnes High School football is serious business.
The game also is taken seriously at Glades Central High in Belle Glade, Fla.
The two prep powers are scheduled to face each other Aug. 26 at Byrnes in a game to be aired on ESPN.
Now a Glades Central assistant coach is accused of giving false information to the Duncan police chief who was questioning him about videotaping a Byrnes practice, according to a police incident report.
​

The report filed May 19 by Duncan Police Chief Ryan Cothran said the chief questioned the coach, Robert Urwin, after Byrnes coach Bobby Bentley told Cothran two men were videotaping the Rebels' scrimmage, which is against South Carolina High School League rules.
According to the report, Urwin told Cothran he was from New Jersey, but he had a Florida driver's license.
Cothran asked to see the camera and viewed the tape, which he said included the scrimmage, the police report said.

Glades Central coaches were here, Bentley said, at the invitation of the Byrnes Touchdown Club to attend a golf outing scheduled for the following day.
Cothran couldn't be reached to comment on what is next in the case. Urwin couldn't be reached for comment.

 

[osugrad21]

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They're used to the pressure

SHANDEL RICHARDSON, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Published August 25, 2006
BELLE GLADE, Fla.
The criticism began seconds before the game ended. From the stands, fans shouted. They called for a quarterback change. They questioned the coaching.
And this was mid-July, not the regular season. This was after losing in the championship of a 7-on-7 tournament, not a playoff game.
Just proves losses are never easy to handle here, home of the tradition-rich Glades Central football program.
So it's no surprise the town of approximately 15,000 -- located about 80 miles north of Miami -- struggled even more with what happened a few hours later, this time losing one of its own in a car wreck that left three others fighting for their lives. More than a month has passed since an early-morning crash killed a former player, severely injured two more and left one current player paralyzed from the neck down.
The tragic wreck occurred just as Glades Central was set to begin perhaps the most anticipated season in school history. The roster is lined with Division I college talent.
The season begins Saturday at Byrnes on ESPN. Yet, for a while, none of that mattered.
"We shut down our program right then," Glades Central assistant coach Sherman Morris said. "That basically ended our summer (workouts). At Glades Central, we like to concentrate on faith, family and football. And we knew we needed to focus on family at that time."
Glades Central has been here before. In 2000, Jyron Seider was shot and killed while watching a dice game in Belle Glade just days after practice opened. The team dedicated the season to him, went undefeated and captured the Class 3A state title. After the final game, teammates took turns carrying his No. 54 jersey around the field.
Expect a similar celebration to honor Stanfield Watson if the Raiders have the same ending to their season. Watson was driving a group of friends home from a movie early July 16 when their vehicle hit a wall on Southern Boulevard in Royal Palm Beach.
Watson, a 2006 graduate headed to play at Lincoln University in Missouri, died on impact, and classmates Curtis Brown and Leslie Fuce, both also headed to college in a few weeks, were hospitalized with severe injuries.
Receiver Fred Barthell, who was expected to play on this year's team, suffered a broken neck and is paralyzed from the neck down. Brown, who suffered a broken jaw, is the only one to have been released from the hospital.
"We go see them in the hospital a lot," said receiver Deonte Thompson, the Raiders' most high-profile player. "I was there one day, and Leslie opened his eyes. Fred says he can feel his legs. So you never know, he may recover. We just want the best for them."
Before the wreck, coach Willie Snead had scheduled a team retreat to Georgia for a week to prepare for the season. The purpose immediately changed: It would be an escape to recuperate from tragedy. Since, the team has shown its support for Watson. After each positive play in practice, players yell out "Thirteen!" the jersey number worn by Watson. They even requested his number be placed on the helmet that is painted on the 50-yard line before each game.
"When it happened, you tried not to think about it," Thompson said. "But you had to. It was on your mind because out here we're all like family. It hurt everybody. A lot of what we're doing out here is for him."
The loss was especially hard for Snead, a Belle Glade native in his second year as coach, because he had known most of the victims since they were kids. It's hard not to know everyone in the town just off Lake Okeechobee.
There are few strangers, and football is such a vital part of the community. The town often fills the stadium at home -- and road -- games during the regular season and playoffs to see a program that has won five state titles.
Football is such a demand that the summer 7-on-7 tournament drew hundreds of fans despite the extreme heat. Baseball caps and umbrellas were the only escape, because there was no shade. Shirts were soaked in sweat, and spectators spent much of the time swatting away insects.
Still, it was worth getting a chance to see the group locals are already comparing to the great teams in the past. The names of NFL players Santonio Holmes, Louis Oliver and Fred Taylor are on the school's impressive roll call, but none played on ESPN as high schoolers.
"You go outside and you hear people saying that we're the most talented team they've seen here," Thompson said. "I think we can match up with some of those teams from the past."
Thompson, receiver Tarus McKinley, quarterback Bryan Mann and safety Damien Berry are the latest in the line of standouts. Thompson is rated the 28th-best college prospect in the nation and the No. 1 receiver in Florida. McKinley, the brother of UM cornerback Randy Phillips, and Mann have emerged after solid off-seasons. Berry, who has committed to Miami, played three seasons at Suncoast before transferring back to his hometown school. His father, Kenny, graduated from Pahokee and played at Miami, too.
"People are saying that we will be nervous because we're playing on ESPN," Mann said. "What they don't realize is this game is like every game we play here in Belle Glade. They expect us to win every time. That's pressure right there."


More Information
Byrnes No. 2 in USA Today poll
The four-time defending 4A Division II champion Byrnes Rebels were ranked No. 2 in the USA Today Super 25 poll that was released Thursday.
Hoover (Ala.) received the No. 1 spot, while Glades Central (Fla.), the team Byrnes hosts Saturday in an ESPN-televised game, was ranked fifth.
Byrnes, also ranked second in the newspaper's South regional poll, is coming off a 15-0 season and has eight starters returning, including Clemson commitment's quarterback Willy Korn and defensive end Stanley Hunter.
Summerville was the only other state team ranked in the national poll or the South regional poll. The Green Wave were No. 21 nationally and No. 10 in the South.
The Rebels have been ranked in numerous polls this summer, including a No. 1 in the Tony Bianco poll, No. 6 in the Student Sports poll and No. 10 in the National Prep Poll.
-- Jason Gilmer, Staff Writer

 

[Buckskin86]

Gators looking to reopen Glades Central High athletic pipeline
But Coach Urban Meyer has tried to re-tap the school's reservoir of talent

Andrea Adelson | Sentinel Staff Writer
November 21, 2007

For nearly 20 years, whenever UF needed to find some of the best players in the state, it would go straight to Glades Central High in western Palm Beach County. There, the Gators signed highly touted guys like Louis Oliver and Fred Taylor and Reidel Anthony.

Then, right around the time Steve Spurrier left Gainesville, the pipeline stopped. The Gators have signed two players from the high school in the last seven years. There are two theories as to why.

Some believe it is because of the way one player was denied admission to the school.

Others say Ron Zook backed off recruiting in the area during his three-year tenure.

While no one can say for sure, it could be a little of both.

They don't know why, but they point to specific examples. Santonio Holmes, who went to Ohio State and become a first-round draft pick of the Steelers, got no interest. Albert Dukes, whose father played at UF, had a visit to the school canceled with no explanation. He also signed with Ohio State.

With Zook gone, new Coach Urban Meyer made a concerted effort to reconnect with Glades Central and Belle Glade. Those in the community believe he has a similar style to Spurrier. That helped him land highly regarded receiver Deonte Thompson.

"Hopefully that pipeline opens back up as big as it did when we went there," Taylor said.

Because the Gators and Glades Central have proven to be a pretty good match.

Gators looking to reopen Glades Central High athletic pipeline -- OrlandoSentinel.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Glades Central loaded with talent -- no surprise there
By DANA OPPEDISANO

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

They call it Muck City.

The sugar cane swathed, football-crazed collection of towns on the bank of Lake Okeechobee.

It's a place that breeds state champions and future NFL stars, and if banners are the measuring stick, then Glades Central, with its six titles, is King of The Muck.

For the second time in 371 days, though, Naples is standing squarely in the way.

The undefeated Golden Eagles (12-0) host the Raiders (11-1) on Friday in a Class 3A-Region 4 final, a rematch of the same game, won 24-14 by Glades Central, last Nov. 24.

Their blue chip star, though, is receiver Travis Benjamin, a 4.4-second-in-the-40-yard dash stud whose a threat to score each and every time coach Willie Snead, himself a former Gators receiver, calls his number.

"They're gonna get him the ball however they can, and he's a lethal return guy," Kramer said of the 5-foot-11, 165-pounder. "A couple weeks ago, he returned three punts for touchdowns and they were all called back because of penalties. He's the kind of guy that, when he touches the ball, you hold your breath. They say he's the fastest kid in Florida."

Benjamin has 37 catches this season for 615 yards and eight scores, and has said he'll wait until after the season to choose between the likes of Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami and Ohio State.

Senior receiver Eddie Poole, who has drawn the interest of virtually every school in the SEC plus Miami and Ohio State, has been another big-play threat for the Raiders, having caught 22 passes for a 23.1-yard average and six touchdowns.

Glades Central loaded with talent -- no surprise there

 

[starBUCKS]

They had a FSC special on the Muck bowl. Poole actually had a bad knee injury last year.

 

[OSUBuckeye4Life]

Belle Glade's football future in doubt -- OrlandoSentinel.com


Belle Glade's football future in doubt

Andrea Adelson | From the Press Box June 29, 2008
One of the most fertile football areas in the entire country just went on the endangered list. Belle Glade, home to Fred Taylor and Reidel Anthony and Santonio Holmes and scores of other NFL players, might never recover financially or athletically from what happened this week.

When U.S. Sugar agreed to sell its land in the Belle Glade area to the state for $2.2 billion, the move was a coup for Everglades restoration.

There is no questioning this is an environmental victory for the state.

But what of the area impacted, known in these sports pages for churning out top-quality football players year after year? The fallout is something not even residents have started to fully understand.

U.S. Sugar is one of the top sources of employment in "Muck City," located 45 miles west of West Palm Beach. The company still has six years of farming left before it turns over its 187,000 acres to the state.

When that day comes, nearly 2,000 people in Belle Glade and the surrounding area will be unemployed and left with few options in one of the poorest communities in the state. In 2005, the average income of a Belle Glade resident was $24,200.

"My stepfather, he's been working the fields for 39 years," said Holmes, now a receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers. "With him possibly losing his job, that's going to affect our family. They'll be more dependent on myself bringing in the income. This is going to limit the productivity of the area."

People could try to find work with the schools or the city, the two other main sources of employment. But an influx of unemployed would make those jobs scarce and drain the tax base from which the city jobs are built.

Or they could try to find work in West Palm and commute at a great gas expense. But what seems more likely is people will be forced to leave in order to survive.

That means the kids leave, too, and that will cripple programs at Glades Central, Pahokee, Glades Day and Clewiston, four of the best small schools in the state. The four schools have combined to win 17 state championships.

Glades Central, the most notable of the four, has won six titles, tied for second most in the state record books. Taylor went to Glades Central. So did Anthony, Holmes, recent UF defensive tackle Ray McDonald and current Gators receiver Deonte Thompson among many others.

Pahokee also has turned out NFL talent, including Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin. Glades Central and Pahokee have combined to send 48 players into professional football.

"This is going to have a huge impact," said Willie Snead, a 1985 Glades Central graduate who went to UF and coached at his alma mater from 2005-07. "If the people who got their paychecks from U.S. Sugar can't find employment in town, you have to move."

The sugarcane also provides the backdrop for a tradition unique to only Belle Glade: running rabbits. Area players point to their chase of rabbits as one of the big reasons why they are known for their speed. Decades ago, kids started the chase to put a few bucks in their pockets.

But the legend grew into what it is now -- chasing rabbits means being fast.

And when is the best time to chase? When the sugarcane is burned as part of the harvest. Rabbits run from the flames, and the boys go after them.

The land and all the animals on it are sure to be protected once U.S. Sugar leaves. The end to the chase seems near.

"This is kind of the folklore of how our kids get faster," Snead says. "To see that come to an end, too, I think it's going to have a bigger impact than most people think."

Clearly, the financial impact on the community means more than any football score. But this is a town that comes together on Friday nights to watch their football, a town that takes pride in its high school and college and pro players.

After all, when sports fans in our state think of Belle Glade, they think of football.

In 30 years, they might never know the two were ever connected.