Playing other sports help footbal players stand out more

Joe McNamara, Normando Harris, Alex Wethy, James White and Vinnie Mauro are the faces of the Class of 2010. All have been contacted by major colleges for football, but all have not taken part in the weekly combine sessions for good reason.

In an age where football is virtually non-stop, getting a chance to step out of the gridiron spotlight and compete in other arenas is something that many high school athletes relish. While some compete on the basketball court and the running track, some have opted to combine the skills that wrestling and baseball offer to give themselves an advantage of not getting burnt out on the football field.

McNamara is one of those players many have yet to hear about. The anchor of Cypress Bay's offensive line, this gifted and very athletic 6-2, 275-pound lineman has performed well enough on the football field to attract attention from programs such as FIU, Wake Forest, Iowa State and USF. His leadership and skill level has been recognized by his teammates, opposition and coaches

Patrick Williams ready to lead University School

Two years ago, while jumping from school to school in the Orlando area and watching his mother battle cancer, there was no way that Patrick Williams could ever have imagined that he would end up in Davie, attending a prestigious school and being considered as one of the best football players in the nation.

As he begins his junior year at University School, there is Williams -- all 6-1, 245-pounds of him, finally watching his own hard work and desire to achieve a better life -- pay off, in a major way.

Colleges flock toward Western High lineman Feliciano

Jonathan Feliciano grew up with posters of Ray Lewis in his bedroom and dreams of playing for the University of Miami bouncing in his head.

He just never believed the latter would happen. It wasn't that the 6-4, 305-pound offensive lineman didn't think he was good enough to wear orange and green. He just didn't believe the Hurricanes would come looking for him at Western High, a program that was 1-9 two seasons ago.

He was wrong.

Evaluating recruits goes far beyond watching film

E ach year, hours after National Signing Day, fans across the country want to know which athletes to start following for the upcoming class.

In the past, many players in the next wave of seniors would be somewhat of a surprise. But now, thanks to camps, combines, 7-on-7 events and fan websites, which are on hand to record just about every name in all classes, the class of 2011 is not really new to many fans at all.

With early events such as the Nike Combine, which will be held Saturday at North Miami Stadium, high school players are exposed early. Even some athletes who won't be seniors until 2012 and 2013 are on the radar already.

St. Thomas Aquinas keeping Florida's football dominance front and center

They head into next week's first round of the 5A state playoffs as the overwhelming favorites repeat as state champion for the third year in a row, and stand to bring home yet another national championship.

For a lack of a better word, the Raiders of St. Thomas Aquinas are dominating. They beat you in every phase of the game and have enough coaches with experience to overcome every obstacle that could stand in the way over the five weeks.