Local recruits have big-game experience

[Guest HowieP1]

Colleges

Local recruits have big-game experience

By GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer

Published December 15, 2004

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USF is recruiting several stars from Armwood and Jefferson, both of which played state championship games last week.

Coach Jim Leavitt is expected to meet with Armwood offensive tackle Chad Peterson on Thursday. Defensive back R.J. Anderson already has committed, and the Bulls will have another Hawk join the team this spring. Defensive end Jarriett Buie enrolled in the fall as a non-qualifier.

USF has offered a scholarship to running back Demetrius McCray, who has the Bulls, New Mexico, Rutgers and Akron on his short list. But proximity could work against USF.

"I told Coach Leavitt he wants to get away from home, but they're still recruiting him hard," Armwood coach Sean Callahan said Tuesday.

Leavitt also has a firm commitment from the quarterback who lost to the Hawks in the title game, Lake Gibson's Matt Grothe, who finished second in balloting for the state's Mr. Football award.

The Bulls have one Jefferson graduate on the roster, safety Jeremy Burnett, and they're trying to land running back Alex Suber, who topped 200 yards in each of the Dragons' final two games.

"I think they're right in the hunt," said Jefferson assistant Lane McLaughlin, who said Suber had offers from Mississippi and Indiana before their coaches were fired.

Dragons receiver Dohnovan Simpson has been a regular visitor at USF home games, and the Bulls also are recruiting offensive lineman Antuan Lewis. He has offers from schools such as Oklahoma and Clemson, and McLaughlin sent a highlight tape of Lewis to South Carolina on Tuesday.

The Bulls already are competing against Big East rivals. Jefferson defensive backs Josh Walker and Devin Giles have offers from Syracuse, and Giles has one from West Virginia.

USF is the first program to offer a scholarship to Dragons junior receiver Tertavian Ingram. He has impressed Bulls receivers coach Lawrence Dawsey.

ON A TEAR: Junior forward Ezria Parsons was named Conference USA Player of the Week after a 12-point, 19-rebound effort in the Bulls' 81-42 win Sunday against Southeastern Louisiana.

Parsons' 19 rebounds is 11th best at USF and the most in more than a year, since center Nalini Miller had 20 against Miami. Parsons leads the team in minutes (36.1 per game), rebounds (9.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (22 to five).

BENCH HELP: One of the most impressive aspects of USF's 6-3 start is its bench play. Consider Sunday, when the Bulls dominated despite leading scorer Jessica Dickson going 1-for-13 from the field. Reserve Alana Tanksley hit five 3-pointers for a game-high 15 points, and five bench players combined to commit one turnover in 77 minutes.

"Coach (Jose Fernandez) emphasizes every day that if the starters aren't playing well, our bench has to be strong for us," Miller said. "You want a strong starting five, but it's always good when the bench can come in and play just as well as the starters."

LOST AND FOUND: Cornerback Willie Phelps, who left the team last month and could not be reached by coaches for more than a month, has returned. The Sarasota freshman, who played in one game before coming down with mononucleosis, met with academic advisers Friday and will try to get his fall semester expunged, allowing him to start with a clean slate academically in January.

Fred Gilmore, Phelps' coach at Booker High, said "personal issues" led to Phelps going AWOL. If he expunges his fall semester and is allowed back on the team, Phelps would have to pass 18 credit hours in spring and six in summer to regain his eligibility in the fall.

Another former Booker player, running back Terrence Jones, who committed last year, has failed to pass the FCAT exam again and no longer appears to be in USF's future plans.

Times staff writer Greg Auman covers USF athletics. Reach him at 813 226-3346 or auman@sptimes.com

[Last modified December 15, 2004, 00:31:19]

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/12/15/Sports/Local_recruits_have_b.shtml

[Apis Bull]

That's too bad about Jones

[Zonald]

FCAT?  Geesh, can we send the kid to Kapland or something?  

[Cubanbull]

actually i will tell you that many athletes down this way are now transfering to private schools because they dont have to pass the FCAT to graduate. Of course if they cant pass the FCAT i dont see how they stand a chance at SAT or ACT

[Velcro]

If they can't pass the FCAT... good luck with remembering hundreds of different plays, formations, etc.  I know some people understand x's and o's better than math etc... but the FCAT isn't exactly rocket science.

[sdgukhsdgl]

i took it the first year they were testing it...  before the test they told us it wouldnt count for anything and even if we got a 0 we would still graduate.  needless to say i basically christmas tree'd it and still received what would be considered a passing score  :

[RHBullsFan]

Terrence Jones was a huge recruit IMO...that SUCKS he won't be in our future plans. He would have been a good successor to Hall.

[Velcro]

We still have a good chance of landing another top flight Juco, plus we are loaded at running back ...

Hall

Henderson

Ponton

Copeland (is he not coming back?)

already on the roster

Jones would have been nice, but we will be fine.

[bullpen1]

I am very dissapointed by the Jones situation, he would have been a star for us.  I can't say that I am suprised, though.  Booker High School more closely resembles a prison than a learning facility.  Aah, you have to love the free education people get in the state of Florida.  I guess you get what you pay for.

[CyberBull]

actually i will tell you that many athletes down this way are now transfering to private schools because they dont have to pass the FCAT to graduate. Of course if they cant pass the FCAT i dont see how they stand a chance at SAT or ACT

The odd thing with Jones, is that he had a a decent score on his ACT and he had over GPA over a 3.2, at least according to his Rivals write-up.

I also know of a girl in Riverview, who had been accepted to Duke, Florida and a couple other excellent academic schools who despite scoring well on her SATs and ACT she could pass a certain part of the FCAT.