WEST PALM BEACH — A handful of notable 2012 prospects were on
display Saturday when 15 of Florida’s top high school football
teams took the field for the sixth annual Heath Evans Foundation
7-on-7 Championship.
The
New Orleans Saints fullback hosts the event to raise money for
children and families affected by sexual abuse.
Tampa Plant wins title: Two of the tournament’s
youngest teams made it to the day’s championship contest. Led by
three-star prospects Austin Aikens and Antonio Crawford, the
Panthers defeated the Tornadoes of Miami Booker T. Washington 31-27
in a wild finale.
Miramar duo shines: Cornerback Tracy Howard and
wide receiver Malcolm Lewis both turned in impressive performances
Saturday. The two are best friends, four-star prospects and will be
attending UF’s Friday Night Lights camp on July 22.
Howard is ranked as the No. 1 cornerback and No. 25th player
overall by Rivals.com.
“It’s getting kind of crazy right now,” said Howard, who holds
offers from Florida, Alabama and Florida State.
“I
try to stay humble about it. Stay focused with the help of my
coaches and my family.”
The
six-foot, 170-pound corner said he is still open about his college
options but plans to visit Miami and Florida State in the near
future.
Meanwhile, Lewis said the Hurricanes have shown him more interest
than anyone else. His five official visits will be Florida, Florida
State, Alabama, LSU and Miami.
Lewis holds an offer from all five schools, as well as Ohio State,
Nebraska and West Virginia.
Both said they have talked about being a package deal in the
recruiting process.
Miramar dark horses: With a giant senior class,
Howard and Lewis aren’t the only Division I prospects at Miramar.
Receiver Devonte Mathis is a 6-2, 210-pound three-star wideout with
offers from Ohio State, Florida State and South Florida — but he
has yet to get a nod from Florida.
Playing opposite Howard at corner is recent St. Thomas Aquinas
transfer Terrell Hill, who has received invites to California and
Texas Tech for official visits.
Booker T. brings youth: The Tornadoes made it to
the tournament final with a team mostly composed of 2013 players.
They were led defensively by outside linebacker Matthew Thomas, who
has already met with coaches from Alabama, USF and UCF.
“He’s bringing a lot of intensity,” head coach Tim Harris said. “We
could use him several different ways.”
Son of a street fighter: One of the Tornadoes’ few
upperclassmen is running back Kevin Ferguson. People might know him
better as the son of mixed martial artists and YouTube sensation
Kimbo Slice. Ferguson played sparsely for Booker T. on
Saturday.
