Rain doesn’t dampen enthusiasm for spring football
Area’s top performers take first steps on road they hope leads to title.
Despite the wet weather, Monday marked the start of spring football practice in Palm Beach County and the rest of Florida.
Football teams in the state are allowed 20 spring practices, which includes a spring game, per Florida High School Athletic Association rules.
Here is a look at some of the schools on their first day of practice.
Palm Beach Central: The Broncos started spring football with a title they haven’t claimed since the spring of 2015: district champions.
Loaded with stars on the field (and their recruiting profiles), Palm Beach Central likely will be the favorite to win it again and possibly go farther in the postseason.
“What (goals) have we set this year?” defensive back Akeem Dent said. “State champs, that’s what we set.”
Coach Tino Ierulli said a majority of starters from last year’s team are back, including Dent (No. 1 on the Post’s Big Board), offensive/defensive lineman Renato Brown (No. 5) and wide receiver Bryan Robinson.
The Broncos are looking for a new starter at quarterback. Last year’s starter, Nick Atkins, is graduating, so Ierulli expects rising junior Anarjahe Douriet, who is returning from shoulder surgery, to step up.
“He’s got a cannon for an arm,” Ierulli said. “About 6-1, 195, 196. Big, strong kid. Very athletic. We’re excited. He looked great in the winter, throwing the ball.”
The Broncos got about 45 minutes of practice in on Monday before rain and lightning sent them into the gym.
“This is what we always wait for,” Ierulli said before the storm
arrived. “We know how important the winter workouts are. I mean, that’s what makes you a champion. But it’s always good to be back on the field.”
Palm Beach Gardens: An approaching thunderstorm forced the Gators indoors on the first day of spring football practice. But the threat of stormy weather did little to dampen coach Billy Clark’s enthusiasm as he enters his second season.
Eighty-two players took the practice field, including a handful of impact players from last season.
Clark expects big things from t hat group, which includes running backs Pedro Epps and Kevon Purnell, quarterback David Studstill and linebacker Wendy Francois. All will be seniors.
They will be joined by a younger group of players who will be expected to contribute immediately.
Among them, junior defensive tackle Decorri Brown already has drawn a Syracuse offer, while sophomore running back Antonio Outler, who played at Suncoast last season, has impressed for a 15-year-old.
“We’ve got some great young talent,” said Clark, whose Gators finished a disappointing 3-6 last season. “I’m really excited. This spring is going to be valuable for them to get all together and come together as a unit.”
Defense and a strong ground game have long been staples at Palm Beach Gardens, and Clark doesn’t expect that to change.
“Our backfield may be the most impressive unit that we have,” he said. “Pedro Epps and Kevon Purnell are phenomenal football players. And Antonio Outler is going to be a star. Between those three in the backfield, and we’re going to motion some guys around and do some stuff, it’s going to be pretty special.”
Oxbridge Academy: The last time the Thunder- Wolves were on the field, they watched their state-title hopes get dashed, thanks to the leg of Hollywood-Chaminade Madonna kicker Dan- iel Longman.
The returning players from last year’s state runner-up team are determined to make it back.
“It just motivates us to work harder, push harder,” running back James Meeks said, “and just to get back to the state championship and win this time.”
Meeks is one of those key returning players. The rising senior, the No. 21 player on the Big Board, recently received an offer from Flor- ida Atlantic. He was a firstteam All-Area pick last year after racking up 689 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Another key returner is quarterback Gio Richardson, who is going into his third season as the starter. Rich- ardson scored four touchdowns in the state-title game, nearly leading the Thunder- Wolves to the championship.
“I expect him to make another jump here and have big things and have a great season,” Kent said.
Atlantic: Count Eagles coach T.J. Jackson among those who want to conduct practices the old-fashioned way.
Rather than take things light to start spring camp, Jackson spent most of Monday’s practice drilling fundamentals and discipline into his young team. Young enough that while seven-on- seven drills could happen, going over the basics was mandatory, too.
“We have a lot of young kids — it’s a new team from last year,” Jackson said. “We’re very excited to see the young kids come in and work and see where we go from there. I think we have an opportunity to do some great things, (it’s) just going to take time to get kids in the right position.”
Atlantic made it to the 8A Championship Game in Orlando last season, fall- ing 17-7 to Dr. Phillips. The Eagles graduated quarterback Antoine Williams, senior running back Shelley Singletary, and wide receivers Corey Gammage, Cadarius Gaskin, and Oyeh Lur- ry-Davis.
After losing so many impact players, the early days in camp will provide a chance for Jackson to preach the importance of “creating your own legacy” and making sure newcomers know they are not last year’s team.
“I don’t think it’s hard for them to understand,” Jackson said. “I think it’s just that they looked at the kids we had last year, they understood what took place. … I think a lot of kids want to surpass those kids.”