Apopka duo eager to play for Tar Heels

APOPKA — Apopka’s William Barnes and Ed Montilus have been inseparable through the years, even before teaming up along the offensive line at Apopka High School.

That bond will remain intact on the football field at North Carolina later this fall.

The duo used Wednesday’s National Signing Day to break the news in front of fellow students, faculty and parents. They basked in a rousing ovation inside the school gymnasium upon pulling on Carolina Blue hats.

“We’ve never had two [players] before that were good enough to wait until Signing Day and go [to school] together. That’s kind of rare,” Apopka coach Rick Darlington said. “It’s hard to go to Signing Day and not commit because spots fill up. But they wanted to do it and it worked out, and North Carolina is a good place for them.”

Florida was also a finalist for two of the top uncommitted players in the state.

“It’s going to be the best thing in the world,” Montilus said. “Me and Will, we’ve been together so long, and now we get to play together at North Carolina.”

Barnes (6-5, 320 pounds) and Montilus (6-3, 305) were two of nine Apopka football players recognized Wednesday for signing with college football programs. That included Steve Billings-Larson, who will walk on at his dream destination, Miami, after applying for and receiving a number of academic scholarships.

“This day only happens because of the hard work these guys have put in,” Darlington said before introducing each individual. “Not only on the football field, that’s obvious, but in order to be here they have to be in the weight room in the summer program and have the great academics.”

It came down to the final weeks of the recruiting process for Barnes and Montilus. A recent visit to UNC cemented their decisions.

“To have another Apopka brother with me up at North Carolina is fantastic,” Barnes said. “To have him up there, to keep on working with him throughout these college years, is going to be great.”

Another big blocker from Apopka headed for the major college football ranks is Class of 2016 product Reuben Lewis (6-4, 319). He signed with Kansas following two seasons at Coffeyville Community College of Kansas.

Jones High quarterback Quadry Jones stayed patient in hoping for a chance to play for UCF in his hometown and landed the opportunity he wanted on Wednesday.

UCF described it as a walk-on spot but Tigers coach Elijah Williams said a combination of academic and athletic aid amounts to a full ride for Jones, who was voted Florida Dairy Farmers Class 5A state player of the year after passing for 33 touchdowns.

“It’s partial academic but he’ll be on full scholarship in January,” Williams said. “Things fell in place perfectly for Quad. He’s very excited about it.”

At 5-11, Jones lacks the height major colleges seek, but Williams said UCF liked what it saw in a postseason workout.

“He checked all the boxes except height,” Williams said.

Bishop Moore running back Trilion Coles, Trinity Prep receiver Alec Holler and East River receiver Nykie Marion are also headed to UCF as preferred walk-ons, according to their high school coaches.

There were mixed feelings at the Dr. Phillips ceremony, as seven members of the school’s first ever state championship football team signed with their future schools.

“It’s bittersweet. Such a triumph, winning the state championship for the first time, that’s something you’re never going to forget,” Brown signee Joe Gulla said. “It’s also a great thing to be able to move on, take that next step and begin the next part of my life.”

After moving three times, Gulla is on his third high school. He said adjusting to football in Florida and meeting new people was tough, but it helped him mature. Of course, signing with an Ivy League school doesn’t come without maturity. His 4.31 GPA is proof of that.

One seat to Gulla’s right sat Braxton Clark, a Nebraska recruit. The big defensive back is following former UCF coach Scott Frost and his staff to Nebraska, noting the family-like atmosphere that the staff promotes.

“The whole process was stressful, but it was kind of easy once I went on that Nebraska visit,” Clark said. “It felt like family out of all the places I went.”

The University of Mary, a Division II program in Bismarck, N.D., that had zero area players on its 2017 roster, signed eight on Wednesday. The Marauders have a connection to Central Florida in UCF graduate and former Lake Minneola and Freedom assistant coach Nick Vorhees.

Vorhees told the Sentinel his staff hopes to sign a few more Orlando-area players in the coming days.

Jones had 18 players take part in its signing ceremony, which brought its 2018 signees total to 24 counting the six seniors who selected schools in December.

“The job these kids did academically is what made this all happen,” Williams said. “It’s tough to get signed by the D2 and D3 schools because the academics have to be there. These guys busted their tail in the classroom. It really is refreshing to see these kids going to.”

Football wasn’t the only sport where colleges added to their future rosters. Seven seniors from Oviedo’s undefeated girls soccer team that is in the midst of its playoff bid for a third consecutive state championship took time out to sign scholarship paperwork on Wednesday. That included UCF recruit Sydney Brown and Madison Allen to Vanderbilt.

Timber Creek girls soccer standout Asia Ervin also signed with UCF.