Wolves Diamond and York show strengths at 7v7 Regional

The Shawnee News Star
By Billy Brown, Sports Editor

Shawnee juniors Jack Diamond and Tyree York and the Gain Sports 7-on-7 team traveled to Bradenton, Fla., over the weekend to compete at the NFA 7v7 Southeast Regional where they finished as the No. 4 seed after pool play Saturday. Diamond and York, along with Skiatook’s Shae Garner and Baron Odom of Wynnewood, completed the Oklahoma portion of the team’s roster.

Gain Sports, founded in 2014, is a resource available to student-athletes, coaches, and teams to aid with events, marketing, promotion, athletic development and to provide access and education during the college recruitment process.

Team Gain went undefeated in their first three games of pool play Saturday, taking down Big HITS All Stars Club Silver coached by former NFL talent Ernie Sims to start their day. The boys followed up with a win over TC Elite Training as former Minnesota Viking receiver Randy Moss watched from the sidelines.

Diamond and his team capped the undefeated run with a big win over two-time National Champions Team Tampa before taking a loss in their final game against Burch Sports Performance.

The team hadn’t met for the first time until the night before and had less than three hours of practice time before their first game against Big HITS, Gain Sports Founder Josh Clark said.

The boys played in three games the next day, losing two in overtime after jumping out to early leads to drop out of the double-elimination tournament.

With the short amount of practice time and large success from Saturday, Clark is confident that the team could make a national name for themselves.

Diamond impressed by making high-level throws over the weekend and is a quarterback with a lot of capability.

“There are some small things Jack needs to put together and if he puts them together it's really going to help him take off,” Clark said.

York was equally impressive in the receiver role where he had “as impressive of a performance as any receiver in the tournament all weekend,” Clark said.

Clark said York is a highly skilled athlete with a capability to play at the highest level. He proved to be a playmaker amongst some of the best talent in Florida and the country, Clark said.

Odom is a big target who moves well for his size and is “probably one of the best blocking tight ends in the country on film,” Clark said.

Shae Garner, a receiver on the shorter side, has a lot of Darren Sproles-esque qualities at his height, Clark said, and has the capability to be an explosive player in the right offense.

Clark said that all four athletes were a pleasure to coach.

“Their eagerness and the work they put in, all four of these young men strive to be the best football players they can be... they did a really great job of representing the state of Oklahoma,” he said.

Shawnee senior and Vanderbilt commit Jackson Winrow and Wolves junior Creed Humphrey have also spent time working with Clark and Gain Sports.

Humphrey traveled with Gain Sports on their first summer college bus tour two summers ago approaching his sophomore season. At the University of Georgia, Humphrey quickly impressed from his first punch against elder Georgia defensive linemen, Clark said.

“We knew from that moment that this was a kid that wanted to play football,” he said.

The Wolves and the rest of the 7-on-7 team don’t know what their next challenge will be yet, but they will continue to accept the challenges put in front of them.

2015 Season Review: Max Mangum (9/15/15 Update)

MAX MANGUM (AUSTIN, TX / WESTLAKE HS) 2015 SEASON REVIEW

*** TEAM CAPTAIN ***

WEEK 1 (August 28, 2015) 
Austin Westlake 20 (1-0) vs Southlake Carroll 14 (0-1)
9 tackles (1 tackle for loss) and 1 interception

Revenging a loss during Westlake's 2014 season, Southlake Carroll entered this game ranked in the top 10 in the Texas Class 6A.  Mangum's 2nd quarter interception stopped Southlake Carroll's drive in the red zone proving to be a game changing play.  Southlake Carroll featured four players being recruited at a national level, including 2016 RB/ATH Jordan Humphrey (20+ offers), 2016 WR Zach Farrar (12+ offers), 2016 CB Obi Ehoh (Texas commit), and 2017 S Robert Barnes (Oklahoma commit).

WEEK 2 (September 4, 2015)
Austin Westlake 28 (2-0) @ Temple HS 17 (1-1)
12 tackles (1 tackle for loss)

Temple entered his game ranked #4 by the Associated Press in Texas Class 5A.  During the game, Mangum made an impressive open field tackle chasing down Temple WR Davion Curtis (2016 Georgia commit) to save a TD.  Temple did not score on the drive.  Curtis had previously been recorded 10:38 in the 100.  Following the game, Mangum ranked second on Westlake with 21 tackles.

WEEK 3 (September 11, 2015)
Austin Westlake 73 (3-0) vs Anderson HS 10 (2-1)
5 tackles (3 solo) and 1 pass break-up

For third consecutive week, Westlake delivers opponents first loss of the season.  On the 2nd defensive play of the game, Mangum deflected a pass on a blitz that led to a Westlake interception and to their first offensive score of the game.  Westlake has only given up 41 points in 3 games.  Following the Anderson game, Westlake was voted #10 in Class 6A as part of the Texas HS Football AP Rankings.

WEEK 4 (September 18, 2015)
Austin Westlake 56 (4-0) vs Austin HS 12 (2-1)
7 tackles (5 solo and 1 tackle for loss)

For the fourth consecutive week, Westlake hands opponent their first loss of the season.  Following this victory, Westlake entered the AP Class 6A Rankings at #9.

WEEK 5 (October 2, 2015)
Austin Westlake 24 (5-0) @ Bowie HS 9 (5-1)
7 tackles and 1 pass break-up

For the fifth consecutive week, Westlake handed their opponent its first loss of the season.

2017 Kentucky QB Commit Mac Jones from a Different Angle

Cats Illustrated
By Justin Rowland

Josh Clark has extensive experience in the recruiting world and he's able to offer a unique, insightful take on new UK quarterback commitment Mac Jones.

Clark is the founder of GAIN Sports. His purpose for the company is to help families and student-athletes identify best opportunities and resources to aid their athletic development, high school experience, and college recruitment. The company leads an extended bus tour during the summer taking promising football prospects to various college camps throughout the Southeast and Atlantic coast.

	Mac Jones impressed Kentucky with his release.

Prior, he was part of the original team to launch the IMG Academy Football program. He developed programming for the launch of their camp business and led the admission process for several of the student-athletes a part of their inaugural varsity football team. He was with IMG Academy for more than three years. He actually worked for Rivals.com at its inception in 1999, and also had a stint with Scout.com.

Clark's history with Jones began more than a year ago in the spring of 2014 as the quarterback was finishing his freshman year of high school. Jones signed up for GAIN Sports' bus tour and that turned out to help Jones receive a lot of exposure as a young, inexperienced high school player. In fact, the bus tour led Shannon Dawson to discover Jones, which began a sequence of events that couldn't have been predicted but led Jones to commit to Kentucky on Monday.

"My first introduction to Mac was spending 10 nights on the road with him, taking him to several different colleges," Clark told Cats Illustrated. "Not having met Mac beforehand, when he arrived on the bus he didn't scream out as a "young phenom", but sure enough once we started the camps he really stood out and that was among some good, elder high school quarterbacks we had with us. Our tour included a stop at West Virginia's camp. West Virginia's camp was the last on our tour. It was the tenth day and our guys were extremely fatigued by that point. Mac was really kind of discouraged about participating in camp that day because it had been a long trip."

In hindsight Clark wonders whether that trip was too grueling, and in fact he said he shortened their tour this summer to 7 nights from that experience. That tenth day in 2014 ended up working out well for Jones.

"What I told Mac that day was, 'You're a freshman going into your sophomore year. You can't take an opportunity like this for granted. You don't know what you can achieve? When's the next time you're going to be back in Morgantown, West Virginia with this great of an opportunity to make an impression this early in your career?'" Clark said.

Clark had been watching Jones compete at all of the previous stops along the way to West Virginia so his encouragement was more than a typical pep talk. He knew that Jones was impressing the coaches that had been evaluating him to that point, and he knew that West Virginia's staff would like Jones if they watched him throw.

Shannon Dawson was available to watch Jones throw that day. Jones was far from the only quarterback there that was hoping to make an impact. Clark remembers it being a "sizeable group" made up largely of rising seniors - and Jones, a second-semester freshman.

"Following camp Coach Dawson, who was then West Virginia's offensive coordinator, came and said that Mac was the best quarterback therethat day," Clark said. "That left a very strong impression on West Virginia and specifically Coach Dawson. I don't think very often a (rising) sophomore comes to camp and proves to be the best of an entire group of quarterback prospects."

As early as the recruitment of quarterbacks begins these days, things moved slowly for a while after that. Dawson had made it clear that Jones was a quarterback he would be keeping an eye out for, but there was no sense of urgency with a Class of 2017 prospect at the time. Late last year an assistant coach from West Virginia did stop by Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles to check in on Jones and show the staff's interest.

Jones could be an ambassador for Kentucky in his home state of Florida.

Then Neal Brown left Kentucky for Troy and Dawson landed in Lexington after a search that went at Mark Stoops' own pace.

"I followed up with Coach Dawson in the spring time to let him know that Mac was getting ready to take over the starting job at Bolles for spring practice and to check in and see if he'd have the opportunity to get down to Bolles," Clark said. "Coach Dawson responded that he wanted to see Mac in camp this summer. Mac got his way up to Lexington and sure enough he threw well enough to where Coach Dawson decided to extend him an offer. That's how the connection was developed from the first bus tour -- from not wanting to throw at West Virginia to doing it and leaving an impression on Coach Dawson. Fast-forward and it's to Kentucky's benefit."

Clark doesn't seem surprised that Jones landed in the SEC. Having watched him compete at so many events he was confident that opportunities would come his way. At first the only thing standing between Jones and offers were things outside of his control, namely, his youth and the unknown that came with inexperience and the absence of much of a resume.

Some coaches were still taking a wait and see approach with Jones because of their own preferences but it's now clear that Dawson's thinking on Jones is right in line with Clark's.

"What Coach Dawson was really impressed with was Mac's release," Clark said. "Going back to him seeing Mac a year before at West Virginia, the thing that stood out was his release. He has not found many high school quarterbacks with as natural a throwing release. Mac throws an accurate football. Mac can make all the throws necessary to succeed. Mac is a bright guy and he continues to grow. He's over 6-foot-2 and weighs over 180 pounds now. Those numbers are only going to go up."

Clark said Jones realizes that continuing his physical development, getting bigger and adding strength are all necessities if he is to maximize his potential. Jones was praised for his footwork at such a young age at the IMG 7-on-7 he attended this summer, and Clark said that as Jones continues to improve in that area and improve his ability to 'stay stacked' he will incorporate his legs more into his throws, Clark said.

"Mac is only scratching the surface," Clark said with certainty.

Beyond his skills as a passer, which are rare not only for a player his age but especially for a player with so little starting experience at the high school level Jones has many of the intangibles and leadership qualities a coach wants in a quarterback.

"He's a fierce competitor," he said, pointing to Jones' desire to attend as many camps and exposure opportunities as possible. "He's a gamer. He wants to soak up all the knowledge he can. He's eager to learn. He's a determined young man. He wants to be the best quarterback in the SEC. He's got a lot of room to grow to get there but he's going to give it his all to achieve that."

Clark has an extensive professional history in the recruiting world and he knows about the importance of a quarterback commitment, not only in terms of a program's future but also in his role as leader of a recruiting class.

"Mac is a networker," Clark continued. "He's a guy that gets out for every competitive setting available. He's not afraid to interact and he's a very well-known guy in the state of Florida. You can rest assured he's going to be one of Kentucky's lead recruiters over the next two years. Kentucky's going to be very excited to see Mac's maturation as a quarterback and also to have him as an ambassador for the next two recruiting classes. He's knowledgeable for his age and understands the scope of being a Kentucky quarterback."

Milford's Domenic Cozier goes prospecting on Bus Tour

The Boston Globe

By Andrew McDougall

Domenic Cozier was not going to wait for his big break. The Milford teen chose instead to chase it down.

The summer before senior year is a critical period for high school football players with college aspirations, especially in New England. Few prospects are able to lure top programs to the Northeast, away from the hotbeds of the South and West.

In order to catch the eye of major college coaches, many players opt to pack the family car and travel far and wide in hopes of securing that elusive scholarship.

Unlike his peers, however, Cozier took a bus, on a seven-day tour.

“I thought that was one of the best decisions I’ve made,” said the 18-year-old running back, a rising senior at Milton Academy. “Being from Massachusetts, we have to go out . . . for them to notice us. Even if we have the talent, we still have to go out to them.”

The trip, organized by Florida-based Gain Sports, took the 5-foot-8 Cozier and several other prospects to eight states and 15 universities in Football Bowl Subdivision conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Conference USA, SEC). The schools included Clemson, North Carolina State, West Virginia, and Old Dominion.

“I thought it really exposed me to these big colleges,” Cozier said, “and I think it’ll really help me in the future” in vying for a scholarship from Division 1 programs.

He was able to tour Louisville and Wake Forest, and chat with coaches at Penn State and Vanderbilt, but it was a 7-on-7 scrimmage at Maryland that may have been the biggest benefit to Cozier.

JONATHAN WIGGS/THE BOSTON GLOBE

Domenic Cozier made a favorable impression with his workout at the University of Maryland.

As opposed to a typical summer football camp environment, which focuses on skills-testing drills, the 7-on-7 event allowed Cozier to put his vision and 4.4-second time in the 40-yard dash on display in game-like settings.

Maryland defensive backs coach Darrell Perkins told Cozier he loved what he saw. Cozier is a special talent, he said, and they would certainly be in touch. The Terrapins have recruited a running back similar in size to Cozier.

“It’s really exciting. It’s one of the most exciting processes of my life,” Cozier said. “At some points it gets stressful, but it’s for the game you love.”

To read the complete article, please visit the link below

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2015/07/16/milford-domenic-cozier-goes-prospecting-fbs-bus-tour/vJIeZxSxS5DdTnxwK98UNN/story.html

2015 Signing Day Recap

[SARASOTA] -  With great honor, we are proud to celebrate the signings of several of our student-athletes from Signing Day February 4, 2015.   This group marks our first full year class as part of the GAIN Sports fraternity and we could not be more happy for the opportunity each deservedly earned to sign their National Letter of Intent.  Here's your opportunity to learn their stories as they embark on their college football careers!




First, we will start with our mid-year enrollments who joined their respective universities at the start of this current semester.

QB HAMPTON HOWARD (6'4 235) - FOLEY, AL 

Signed with Mississippi State University.  Hampton had traveled a path less traveled than others when he joined GAIN Sports at the time our company launched in January 2014.  He did not start his football career until the off-season entering his senior year and even then had to sit behind his head coach's son.   He went the postgraduate route playing the 2013 season at Jireh Prep in Matthews, NC.   Despite overtures to start his college career at Division Two and Division Three universities following his season at Jireh Prep, Hampton remained focus on his desire to play FBS football.  All stars seemed to line up last spring when Hampton was introduced to Cisco Junior College in Cisco, TX whom recruited Hampton to be their starting quarterback.   As fate would play out, a new head coach was brought in last July and detoured the plans for Hampton to be the starter.  Thus, Hampton sat on the sideline this past fall continuing to prepare and train at a high level and elected to apply to his dream school since childhood, Mississippi State.  Once communication was established with the Mississippi State coaching staff, Hampton was immediately targeted as a preferred walk-on quarterback to enroll at the start of the spring semester.   Better yet, due to his strong academic background, he was awarded an academic scholarship.  He is currently enrolled in classes.

JIREH PREP HIGHLIGHTS

PRIVATE THROWING SESSION

OL PATRIC MINUTI (6'4 305) - TORONTO (CANADA)

Signed with Purdue University.  Patric transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL for his senior season (2013) just prior to the start of fall camp as a member of their inaugural varsity football team. Despite a successful season on the field, to go along with a late arrival at the school, Patric encountered transcript issues that also forced him to have a late start with his college recruitment.  As the 2014 Signing Day passed, Patric verbally committed as a recruited walk-on at Marshall University.  Once the fall rolled around, Patric chose to not enroll at Marshall and hooked up with GAIN Sports to pursue walk-on opportunities at Big Ten universities.  During the 2014 season, Patric successfully received invitations to attend games at both Michigan State and Penn State; in addition; to take an unofficial visit to Purdue.  Following his visits to all three schools and communications with each of the school's offensive line coaches, Patric decided to attend Purdue.  He is currently enrolled in classes and expects to make a push for a spot on their two-deep entering the 2015 season.

2013 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

OL QUENTIN HALL (6'5 305) - BOSTON, MA

Signed with Assumption College.  Quentin joined GAIN Sports following his senior season at Thayer Academy in Boston, MA.   Quentin had already been through the thick of his college recruitment receiving various FBS and FCS interest but had not solidified a scholarship at those levels heading into Signing Day.  Quentin chose to play a postgraduate season at Milford Academy in New Berlin, NY and joined the GAIN Sports Bus Tour this past summer.  He performed well at the camps he attended on the tour and received praise from North Carolina offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic as a prospect he wanted to evaluate this fall.  Playing the majority of the 2014 season at guard, Quentin did not have an opportunity to flourish at his most natural position left tackle until the last game of the year versus Navy Prep which was his best game film.  That resulted in late promotion of his film to FBS and FCS recruiters and despite late interest from FBS and FCS programs to wait for Signing Day, Quentin elected to continue his education at Assumption College in Worcester, MA at the start of the mid-term.   He is currently enrolled in classes and is preparing to make a push for a starting position this fall.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Now we will transition to the student-athletes whom signed last week on Signing Day and will enroll at their respective universities this fall.

WR DEJON BRISSETT (6'2 175) - MISSISSAUGA (CANADA)

Signed with University of Richmond.  Entering his junior season of high school, Dejon transferred to the Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, IL to play for head coach Robin Bowkett.  Dejon made his introduction with us when he joined the GAIN Sports Bus Tour last summer.  He made a lasting impression as the most fierce competitor and skilled athlete we saw in attendance at each of the last four camps we attended (UNC, Wake Forest, UVA, and West Virginia).  Dejon followed up with an outstanding senior season earning first team all-conference in the Chicago Catholic League; also being named the red division offensive player of the year.   Many elite FCS programs, including Richmond, New Hampshire, Lafayette, Bucknell, and others wasted no time extending scholarship offers.  In the end, Dejon chose to sign with Richmond University.  In our opinion, FBS recruiters will regret they passed on Dejon Brissett.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

GAIN SPORTS BUS TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

SAFETY JORDAN ALLEN (6'2 200) - BOSTON, MA

Signed with Fordham University.  The first class of 2015 prospect to join GAIN Sports, Jordan possesses all the athletic attributes you desire in a skill position player.   He's long, explosive, and fast with the vertical ability and radius to catch any football thrown near him.  An accomplished track athlete, owning the 100m and 200m records at his school,. Jordan attended Thayer Academy in Boston, MA.   Jordan was quickly on the recruiting radar for many FBS and FCS programs last spring, and flirted with a scholarship offer from Boston College for much of the late spring through early summer.   Jordan made great growth on the GAIN Sports Bus Tour last summer competing against great talent in the south.  He was set to have a break out senior season before unfortunately suffering a broken wrist before the season opener.   One of the first schools to offer Jordan a scholarship was Fordham University and their decision to stand by him resulted in his decision to sign a national letter.   Fordham's plans appear to be to start Jordan's career at safety.   Jordan has a high ceiling for growth and we are excited to follow his progression!

GAIN SPORTS BUS TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

2013 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

QB BRANDON BISACK (6'5 200) - FAIRFIELD, CT

Signed with UCONN.   We first saw Brandon in training sessions during the 2014 spring and saw a 6'5 quarterback with arm talent to play at a high level.   Brandon joined the GAIN Sports Bus Tour and performed well.  Unfortunately, many of the schools he camped at decided to take a quarterback commitment before giving Brandon a full evaluation.  Brandon earned first team all-conference honors during the 2014 season at Warde HS in Fairfield, CT; a program he turned from an annual 1 or 2 win team to finishing with a winning record and play competitively. Solely based on film evaluation, Brandon could not dodge the perception he did not have the mobility or athleticism to excel as an FBS level scholarship quarterback. Fortunately, UCONN head coach Bob Diaco was able to take in Brandon's game live versus traditional power New Canaan HS. Coach Diaco immediately targeted Brandon following the game and sustained a high level of pursuit to sign Brandon as a recruited walk-on quarterback.  We have great confidence Coach Diaco has a quarterback who will make a strong push to be a scholarship, starting quarterback during his career there.  Brandon continues to improve his overall athleticism and made great strides during the last off-season.  He is solid with his lower half mechanics, gets the ball out quickly with good velocity, changes ball speeds effectively and throws with good accuracy.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

GAIN SPORTS BUS TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

LB HUDSON HALL (6'1 218) - AUSTIN, TX

Signed with Kansas University.  Hudson joined us after the first four games of his senior year looking to expand his recruitment with additional FBS opportunities.  Hudson did his part earning Defensive MVP in District 14-6A following his senior season at Westlake High School in Austin, TX; but unfortunately; did not receive an FBS offer leading up to Signing Day.  A few FBS schools (Texas Tech, Kansas, SMU, and Purdue) made overtures to Hudson as a recruited walk-on and it was Kansas who made the most aggressive movement with newly appointed head coach David Beatty personally traveling to Westlake to visit Hudson before Signing Day.  After completing a visit to Kansas, Hudson felt comfortable his opportunity to earn a scholarship and chose the Jayhawks.  We're confident the best for Hudson Hall lies ahead and you will hear his name associated with the Jayhawks resurgence in the Big 12.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

WR/ATH HENRY HOUDEN (6'4 190) - MADISON, WI

Signed with University of Wisconsin.  Henry joined GAIN Sports one year ago with ambition of playing quarterback at the next level and was not short sighted with the goal given he had talent to play quarterback in college.  As he sat behind his coach's son at quarterback during his junior season, Henry asked to play defense and finished the 2013 season as an all-conference performer at safety.  It was realized then with his frame and fluid athleticism, Henry had versatile talents to promote along with a 4.0 GPA and 32 ACT.  Also an accomplished basketball player, Henry continued to pursue opportunities at quarterback while developing his overall athletic skill.  He impressed at summer camps at Princeton, Harvard, and at the New England Elite Football Clinic and gained momentum with his recruitment heading into his senior season.   Henry did it all for his team during 2014 playing quarterback, wide receiver, safety, and outside linebacker.   If not for a coaching transition at the end of the season, Henry performed at the standard to earn first team all-state honors.  It was his time at wide receiver that stood out most to college recruiters this fall and eventually landed him recruited walk-on opportunities at Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Stanford.   He also fielded strong interest from Penn, Columbia, and Dartmouth.  In the end, Henry could not bypass the opportunity to play for the hometown Badgers and looks to become the next walk-on success story at Wisconsin.   He is expected to play WR.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

FS/ATH DUSTY PEEBLES (6'2 190) - BRADENTON, FL

Signed with Southeastern University.  Dusty was another who had ambition to play quarterback at the next level and rightfully so after performing among the best quarterbacks in Manatee County playing 7A football his junior season.   After transferring to Bradenton Christian School to play his senior season, the door opened for Dusty to be a two-way performer gaining his first experience as a starter on safety.   He performed strongly during the 2014 season making several key plays to propel Bradenton Christian to a winning season.   He received overtures from several FCS programs before deciding to stay near home to play for Southeastern University in Lakeland, FL.   He has his goals set high to help Southeastern become a formidable power at the NAIA level. Dusty is an explosive athlete with a 4.53 speed who puts the team first.   He carries a 4.0 GPA, 2000 SAT, and 30 ACT.   We expect he will have great success at Southeastern and in his life following.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

OL/LS KEVYN RAMETTA (6'3 270) - BRADENTON, FL

Signed with Southeastern University.  Kevyn joined us one year ago without significant varsity playing experience through his junior season.   Kevyn transferred to Bradenton Christian School for his senior season with a strong off-season plan for development.   He joined the GAIN Sports Bus Tour during last summer performing well at several colleges. Then, went on to have a strong senior season starting each game at center on the offensive line also handling all snapping duties on special teams.  Kevyn is an accomplished long snapper and has worked extensively with Coach Chris Rubio over the past year.   Despite overtures from FCS, D2, and D3 programs, Kevyn decided to join his childhood friend and longtime teammate Dusty Peebles and signed with Southeastern University in Lakeland, FL. 

2014 SEASON OL HIGHLIGHTS

2014 SEASON LS HIGHLIGHTS    

FS/SS TRISTAN WOOD (6'1 185) - TAMPA, FL

Signed with Bethel University.  Tristan is an instinctive, athletic, tough football player we discovered mid way through the 2014 season at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa, FL.   He already was in the midst of his college recruitment with interest from Michigan Tech and Truman State, among others.  His desire though was to stay in the south and in our work together, identified visit opportunities to Carson Newman, Lindsey Wilson, Cumberlands, Bethel, and Southeastern universities.  Tristan hit it off with Bethel defensive coordinator Willie Fells and instantly felt at home.  Not much later, he made his decision to sign with Bethel and will join the program at free safety.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

QB ANTHONY ABBONDANZA (6'2 210) - LONG ISLAND, NY

Signed with Pace University.   We were introduced to Anthony through our friends in Long Island and it did not take long to feel great about his talents and maturity.   After playing in a Wing-T through his junior season at Mt. Sinai, Anthony transferred to Long Island Lutheran to play in a pro-style offense for the first time in his playing career and threw for nearly 2,000 yards in 7 games and broke four school records.   While Anthony has to continue to develop his mechanics throwing the football, his junior highlights on the defensive side ball prove his toughness and competitiveness.   For programs whom passed on Anthony due to his mechanics, they missed on a good football player with good size and good athleticism.  All the while, Anthony received active interest from Stonehill, Pace, and St. Anselm among many others.  In the end, Pace made him feel the most wanted and it was his pleasure to stay near home to continue his career at quarterback.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

2013 SEASON HIGLIGHTS (DEFENSE)

QB GARRETT YOUNG (6'1 185) - TAMPA, FL

Signed with Michigan Tech University.  Very few quarterbacks in Florida came near posting #'s similar to Garrett Young in passing, running, and with their team's win total in 2014.   One area coach remarked to us, "Garrett was the toughest athlete we had to tackle all season."   A teammate of Tristan Wood's at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa, FL, Garrett quarterbacked the team to the best record in school history (8-2) while throwing for 2,313 yards, 27 TDs, and only 4 interceptions.  He also rushed for 840 yards and 17 TDs earning Class 2A Player of the Year runner-up and second team all-state.   Garrett received interest from several FBS and FCS programs at one point or another, but it was Michigan Tech that stuck by him from the start.   After taking an official visit in January, Garrett fell in love with the school and decided to call it home.   We will not be surprised to see Garrett re-writing the record books during his his time at Michigan Tech.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

SS/OLB BEN MARCUS (6'1 185) - GLEN ELLYN, IL

Signed with Washington University in St. Louis.   An accomplished student-athlete with a 4.0 GPA and 32 ACT, Marcus is a gamer.   Splitting time between safety and linebacker during his high school career, Marcus was viewed as a tweener on paper with his size and speed combined.  On paper, you could not measure his heart nor competitiveness which showed routinely during games as he continually made game changing play after play propelling Glenbard West to 12-1 record.  After making an introduction with Washington University in St. Louis head coach Larry Kindbom last spring, the Bears made a lasting impression on Marcus as he signed his letter of intent with the school despite overtures from several higher level programs.   Marcus has strong blood lines with his brother, Nathan, entering his sophomore season at Vanderbilt University.   We congratulate Ben and know he is on track for a successful future ahead!




We also extend our sincere congratulations to two student-athletes who joined us on our GAIN Sports Bus Tour last summer.   Both are exceptional guys and have bright futures ahead.

QB NICK DUNCAN (6'1 190) - LAWRENCEVILLE SCHOOL (NJ) - signed with Brown University.

2014 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

RB JONATHAN FEMI-COLE (6'1 225) - ST. ANDREWS COLLEGE (CANADA) - signed with University of Minnesota.

2014 MID-SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

The Quarterback-Center Exchange

[BRADENTON] - The start of any play begins with the quarterback-center exchange and it's often taken for granted — the fast-break layup of basketball. But when there's a new quarterback in play, the rhythm and cadence of the equation changes. When there's two different sets of hands under center, there's even more in play. For Bradenton Christian seniors quarterback Dusty Peebles and center Kevyn Rametta, this season marks the reunion of their quarterback-center exchange started in grade 6 and celebrates a friendship established at age 4.

Classmates since starting K4 at Tabernacle Christian in Sarasota, Florida both started their high school journey at nearby Braden River High School through their junior football season and fall semester.  During their time at Braden River, as Kevyn explored other positions, and Dusty was called upon to take over varsity duties his sophomore season, the two lost the connection of igniting the offense together.  When the decision was reached both would transfer to a private school, both elected to join Bradenton Christian before the start of the spring semester last winter.  Now they cherish the familiarity they will again have with their quarterback-center exchange, as well, as the opportunity to reach their goals and finish their senior season together.

 Both sat down to share their journeys leading up to their senior season.

Q:  Share how your journey playing football and starting the quarterback-center exchange began?

RAMETTA: "We started out playing flag football in 6th grade.  I was easily the biggest kid on the field so I started out playing center and Dusty was our quarterback.  I stuck with flag football through 8th grade, and did not play my first year of contact football until the 9th grade.  I think it was good for me because it really allowed me to grasp the basics and fundamentals of the game.  When I started playing, I didn't even know I could snap but my coaches told me I had a gift doing it.  I wasn't sure how far I was going to take playing football; I thought I was a golfer; but flag football was my introduction to football becoming my favorite sport.  During flag football, I also got the chance to be Dusty's back-up quarterback (laughing)."

PEEBLES: "I was actually double dipping with playing on our school's flag football team and after that practice ended  I would join my Pop Warner team.  So, I was playing both flag and contact football during middle school.  I was the quarterback on our flag team, but in Pop Warner I actually was moved around from defensive end to linebacker to tight end to even playing some offensive tackle before I finally took over as the quarterback in 8th grade."

Q:  Looking back at your freshman year in high school, how did the transition go for each of you in acclimating yourself to high school football?

RAMETTA: "We both started out on the freshman team.  I continued playing center and Dusty continued as our quarterback.  It was a struggle at first for me to play with pads on, but I was very fortunate that my freshman coach stayed on me.  I knew him pretty well and he kept pushing me, encouraging me to do it over and over until I finally got the grasp of  it.  I'd grade my freshman year as the mental phase of learning the game in pads."

PEEBLES: "Our freshman year was a good learning experience and helped me gain comfort with my new surroundings and teammates.  But after that, it was a quick transition for me as I had to step up and compete for the varsity quarterback position going into my sophomore year."

Q: Did you both see a big jump in your play your sophomore season?

PEEBLES: "I kept improving and saw playing time throughout the season with the varsity team, usually at the end of games.  I gained valuable experience with each rep, and then I was named the starting quarterback for the last two games.  We had not won a game up to that point.  My first game starting was against Venice and that definitely made me realize that I couldn't just out run people any longer.  It was a good eye opener to the level of competition I'd be going against.  I did manage to throw a touchdown pass in the game.  Then, my proudest moment was our final game against Palmetto Ridge.  I threw three touchdowns and we won the game.  It gave me major confidence going into my junior year."

RAMETTA: "I moved over to offensive tackle and played with the junior varsity team.  It was good to learn another position along the offensive line and I saw improvement but would say I saw my biggest jump my junior season when I played at the varsity level.  At the beginning of my junior season, I switched over to nose guard on defense.  I was the long snapper all year for every game but it was not until the second to last game of the year against Palmetto High that I received snaps on defense.  It was an eye opener for sure because everything moves a lot faster on the defensive side of the ball.  It helped me with my physicality because I didn't have to carry out an assignment but I had to go out and make a play.  I learned a lot about myself.  I learned how to play offensive line better knowing the mentality of a defensive lineman and what they are looking for and the keys they are reading.  "

Q: Dusty, recap your junior season...

PEEBLES: "In the 7 games I started my junior season, we went 4-3.  I felt I was playing really well.  My accuracy improved through the season, as well, as my ability to make pre-snap reads.  My best statistical game of the year was against Lakewood Ranch when I threw for 300 yards, 3 touchdowns, and even ran for a touchdown but we lost that game.  So, my best overall game was against the team that won our district, Sarasota High. I threw 3 touchdowns in that game and we won by 3 points."

Q:  Following your junior seasons, you both decided to change schools.   What led you to Bradenton Christian?

RAMETTA: "I have friends from early in my childhood who attend Bradenton Christian.  We all started school at Tabernacle Christian and I saw nothing wrong with returning to my roots.  I knew a lot about Bradenton Christian, the whole atmosphere, and it is what I've been through my whole life.  Growing up in the Christian environment is what I am used to."

PEEBLES: "I have a cousin who attends Bradenton Christian that gave me a lot of insight on the academics provided there and the people involved with the school.  I felt good about returning to a Christian, college prep environment."

Q:  How would you rate your development through the spring and off-season?

PEEBLES: "I've worked really hard on improving my load and release throwing with a higher release and shortening my stride.  I've continued to get bigger and stronger and have seen an increase of over 50 pounds with both my bench and squat maxes.  I consistently ran my 40 in the 4.5's at college camps this summer and feel the most athletic I have ever been.

RAMETTA: "I continued to work on my footwork a lot, my speed, and my agility.  My production in the weight room went up a lot and I feel a lot stronger.  I had to mentally improve my ability to let the past be the past and focus in on the next play.  I am a lot more prepared mentally to play at a high level this fall.  I have made solid improvement with my long snapping and am snapping with much better accuracy and speed than I have before because of the specialists camps I attended this summer."

(NOTE:  Peebles was recently elected a new Team Captain and will also be playing defense as an expected starter at Safety. Rametta will continue to handle all long-snapping duties on special teams.)

Q:  This summer you joined the GAIN Sports Bus Tour, in addition, to attending several other college camps.   How were your experiences and what have you learned about the college recruiting process?

PEEBLES: "It was definitely really cool to be able to go to a lot of different colleges, talk with a lot of different coaches, and see different teaching styles everywhere.  Also, to get a feel for the campuses and see what type of campus fits you best for college.  A definite advantage of joining the bus tour was upon our arrival at the camps, people would notice us all in the same gear and it definitely got the coaches attention from the start.  You could see a WOW factor with the coaches seeing us all arrive together."

RAMETTA: "I had no idea what college football recruiting was at first, but I have learned it is very complex. There's a lot of process that goes into it and getting out there and known.   You have to remain respectful and focused on doing your best.  You have to trust your hard work.  The coolest part of the bus tour was seeing how so many athletes from around the country joined together and learning we were all very similar.  It was interesting to see all the different campuses and how competitive it is to earn a spot with each college."

Q: What are your expectations for the 2014 season and with your college recruitment?

PEEBLES: "I really like (head) coach (Allan) Gerber and really like our team.  We have a great group of guys and believe we can do big things this season.  We want to extend our season as far as we can and our goal is to win a championship.  We have the pieces to do it, we just have to work to put it all together. My focus is to continue to improve, be a leader for the team, and win games.  I am excited to also start at safety this fall and play defense again for the first time since 8th grade.  I think I offer a lot of athleticism and ball skills to the position, but I don't want to be looked at as a prospect at a specific position, I want to be looked at as a football player and someone who is willing to do what any coach would ask me to do to be a part of the team.  Playing college football has always been my dream.  I am just looking for a school with strong academics, a team with a strong family environment, and an opportunity to play."

RAMETTA: "My personal goal is to develop as a leader on special teams and on our offensive line.  Do it by example and do what I have to do to be a great player.  Execute each play and finish.  Special teams are a third of the game and I know with the example I set with my play I can have a lot of influence with our special teams production.  Our team is focused and we want to go out and win every game.  With the college I select, I want to go to a school that fits me academically and where I can earn a good degree.  I plan to major in Finance.  I'm open to do whatever the coach needs from me; whether I am long-snapping and playing offensive line; or only one of the two."

Q:  With the return to a Christian school and to your quarterback-center exchange, you may say you guys have come a full circle. Lastly, how do you describe your relationship going into your senior year?

PEEBLES: "I know he's going to give it everything he's got every play and put the snap where it needs to be.  We've put in a lot of work after practice together.  I couldn't count on a better guy who has been my close friend and teammate my whole life.  I know I could count on him for anything. Our last year at Tabernacle Christian we won our  league championship in 8th grade so it'd be pretty cool to finish on the same note this year"

RAMETTA: "With Dusty being behind me, I know if I give my all, he will make a play behind me because he always has and has that type of talent.  I know he will always give his maximum effort and hustle with each play. I am pumped for the opportunity we have together and we plan to go out and give it our very best this season."

SUMMER PROSPECTIVE: 2015 SS/OLB Ben Marcus

[CHICAGO] - It is our great pleasure to share the stories of our athletes whom excel as student-athletes.  In the case of Glenbard West strong safety Ben Marcus, his excellence in the classroom and production on the field leaves the door open to attend a wide range of universities.   Without prototypical size as a linebacker prospect, Marcus will return to strong safety this fall to again prove his versatility and playmaking ability.   When you dive in deep, you should not at all be surprised to have confidence Marcus will overachieve and prove his doubters wrong.  You don't have to look much further than having an understanding of the work he puts in the classroom and off the field.

Simply put, Ben Marcus has a lot to offer an institution and college football program.   He has started and been a key contributor for one of the state's best teams in Illinois, he carries a 4.0 GPA and 32 on the ACT, and has had a great example of success playing football with his older brother, Nathan, a projected starter at tight end for Vanderbilt University this fall as a red-shirt sophomore.

Before we get too far ahead, though, Marcus is enjoying his high school experience.

"There's a group of around 10 of us who have been playing together year in and year out since youth football," said Marcus.  "We are a really close group and have built strong friendships.  In youth football, we won two Super Bowls in the Bill George Youth Football League.   We didn't get the start we wanted as a freshman team starting high school but we have rebounded and are gearing up to return Glenbard West to the state championship this fall.  There is nothing better than spending our Friday nights together and having an opportunity to play in front of our parents and fans."

Since youth football, Marcus has always been one of the fastest kids on the team which usually found him playing running back and linebacker.  Entering high school, he made the transition to safety.

"I was considered the big hitter in my class and they felt I could make more of an impact from safety so that is where I started out my freshman year," continued Marcus.  "Our freshman team did not meet normal expectations as we finished 6-3 and we were blown out in first game 40-0.  It really led us as a group to be more dedicated and more driven.  Following the season, we really put in more time and effort in our preparation to get back to Glenbard West standards."

"We returned our sophomore season on the sophomore team and finished with an 8-1 record.  Our only defeat was a very close loss to Wheaton Warrenville South.  During my sophomore season, I was asked to suit up for varsity and saw action on special teams.  I came in for a series or two at safety at the end of the varsity season."

Entering his junior season, Marcus was slated to return to linebacker and was named a varsity starter entering fall camp.

"It was my spot to lose," shared Marcus. "I had much better ability to read plays, a much better understanding of what the offense was trying to do, how to read my keys, and physically I was able to react much quicker to the ball.  I played the "WILL" position in our defense at five-foot-eleven, 170-pounds.  I was a little timid and felt overwhelmed in our first game but came around following that game.  I played under much better control and really settled into the position.  We reached the state semi-finals and lost to Lake Zurich."

This fall, Marcus will return to strong safety where he believes his skill set is best suited.   He currently stands at six-foot and weighs 185-pounds.

"My athletic ability, speed, and size are better suited at strong safety," explained Marcus. "I can effectively come down in run support and make plays at the line of scrimmage.  I also have improved greatly with my ability to cover in space.  This summer; with the college camps I attend; I will work out at strong safety."

Marcus has already camped at Miami(OH) where he received praise from their staff, as well, as from the staff at Butler University and Denison University.  He attended the Brown two-day camp this past weekend and also plans to attend the New England Elite Football Clinic this week and Penn's one-day camp in July. He has left the end of July open for potential camps.  To this point, he has received interest from a variety of high-level programs, in addition, to top academic Division II and Division III programs.

No matter where he ends up in college, Marcus has already seen the recruiting process up close and personal and is well prepared for what he will face in college.

"I definitely noticed all the work my older brother, Nathan, had to put in to become the prospect he became," said Marcus.  "I actually went on a couple unofficial visits with him where he was offered a scholarship so that was a real unique experience.  I'm looking for a college that will challenge me academically and athletically.  If I don't reach as a high of a level as Nathan, I will be OK as long as I know I am being challenged in both areas."