Broward sends 10 players to Nike’s The Opening
In the 1986 blockbuster “Top Gun,” America’s top fighter pilots descend on Air Station Miramar in California to attend the Navy’s exclusive training school.
An invitation to the “Top Gun” program is testament to aman’s provenabilities as a crack fighter pilot.
“You are the top1percent of all naval aviators,” Commander Mike Metcalf, played byTomSkerritt, tells Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) and the dozens of other pilots in the program. “The elite. The best of the best.”
Nike’s The Opening is high school football’s Top Gun.
On Wednesday, 10 players from Broward County will be among the top 166 football prospects in the nation welcomed to Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Florida is sending a total 26 players, tying it for the most with California. Georgia trails with 24, while Texas is sending 14.
During the three-day “finals,” portions of which will air on ESPNU, players will train with top position coaches and go head-tohead with their fellow Top Guns in a variety of skill competitions and drills.
Defending Florida Class 5A champion American Heritage is sending five players to the event — cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Tyson Campbell, receiver Anthony Schwartz and defensive linemen Nesta Silvera and Andrew Chatfield.
Surtain, who alsowas selected for last year’s Opening, sees itasanotheropportunity to prove why he’s amongthe top players in the country.
“It feels great knowing that The Opening is here again,” Surtain said. “I just want to keep improving my game and showing my skill set, to showpeoplewhy I’m the best corner in America.”
St. Thomas Aquinas, which captured its third consecutive state title last fall, will be represented by its elite cornerback duo of Asante Samuel Jr. and Al Blades Jr. aswell asWRElijah Moore. Two more receivers round out the group — Chaminade-Madonna’s Xavier Williams and North Broward Prep’s Kevin Austin.
“It’s a dream come true,” saidWilliams, whocommitted to Alabama in January. “I grew up watching guys I knowbe selected for it and I was determined to be a part of this brotherhood.
“I just want to compete with the best and go put on for Broward, my family, South Florida and my brothers at Chaminade.”
For Broward County, its 10 representatives are up from the six invited to Nike World Headquarters a year ago. The 2016’s group also was mostly composed of wide receivers and defensive backs.
247Sports.comrecruiting analyst Luke Stampini said it’s too early to say whether this class is better than last year’s group.
“It’s probably right on par and it’s very good,” Stampini said. “Broward does a really good job of consistently turning out elite players that can pretty much go anywhere in the country — and this year is no different.”
Whilecollege coaches aren’t allowed to attend, Stampini said The Opening plays a large part in determining their player rankings, which continue to be updated throughout the year.
“It willshakeuptherankings a great deal because it’s the first timewe’ll see these guys going up against other elite players — that’s something that’s tough to get in football, unlike some other sports,” Stampini said. “It’s the first true test of the [recruiting] cycle to see how these guys stack up against the best in the nation.”
wdusenbury@ sun-sentinel.com; On Twitter @dusereport