Posted on Fri, Jun. 13, 2008

Thomas Balkcom spent most of his first season as coach at Miami Jackson High hoping he would run into the middle of a Southwest Airlines commercial.

Quite simply, Balkcom wanted to get away.

When he took over for longtime coach John Harris in April 2007, Balkcom stepped into a mess. There were 35 ineligible athletes, he has to assemble a coaching staff, and lots of discipline needed to be instilled.

Facing such adversity, the Generals had a poor season. They followed a 35-0 loss to Krop in the spring -- in a half, mind you -- with an atrocious 1-9 season.

''It was brutal,'' said Balkcom, 40, whose career took him from playing safety for Walter Highsmith at Edison High to winning a national championship at Georgia Tech in 1990, a brief stint with the Dolphins, coaching high schools in Georgia and then most recently as an assistant at the University of Central Florida.

''During the spring game, we had 16 kids dress out,'' he said. 'Everybody kept waiting for the rest of the team to come out of the locker room. I had to explain that was it. It was a long year. I just kept saying, `Dear Lord, make me a bird so I can fly far away.' ''

Balkcom can joke about where the program once was now. He now has full confidence the Generals will soon be making opponents feel the pain they endured last season. Jackson's blowout losses included a 40-0 drubbing by North Miami Beach, 34-0 rout by Coral Gables, a 36-0 clobbering by district rival Booker T. Washington and an embarrassing 46-0 loss to Soul Bowl rival Northwestern.

Jackson, which reached the Class 4A regional final in 2006 with a 9-4 season, finally started looking like the school it once used to be this spring. Despite tying Miami High 6-6 in a half of jamboree football on May 23, the Generals displayed the size, speed and skill once common to the school's hallways. Only one player did not participate because of eligibility issues, although several others, including junior quarterback Rashard Stewart (6-0, 175), were injured.

''We will look like a new team overnight once he gets back in there,'' Balkcom said of Stewart, who started the Generals' final four games last season, including the team's only victory -- 20-7 against Nova.

''People talk all about the young quarterback at Central [ Jeffrey Godfrey]. But I'll put this kid up against anybody,'' Balkcom said. ``He can play anywhere in the nation and he's definitely going to be a Top 100 kid next year.''

Stewart is one of a handful of underclassmen Balkcom is real excited about. The 2010 class features cornerback Kaytron Becton (5-10, 171), linebacker Graylan Mitcheler (6-0, 197) and running back Aaron Killings (5-10, 174). The 2011 class has Robensen Therezie, a 5-11, 185-pound linebacker who started every game last season as a freshman.

''He's a violent hitter,'' Balkcom said of Therezie. ``Kaytron has blazing speed and great hands.''

But it's Jackson's 2009 class Balkcom is most proud of. He already has six players with college scholarship offers -- all are also full academic qualifiers.

Three are talented linemen. Renato Cunha, a 6-4, 285 tackle with a 3.3 GPA and 20 on his ACT, has offers from UCF, South Florida and Vanderbilt. David Martin, a 6-3, 283-pound transfer from Miami Beach, has UCF and Kansas State hot on his trail. And Joaquensi Eugene (6-3, 255) has a 3.5 GPA and 18 ACT score and Alabama State, Howard, Liberty and Alcorn State chasing.

Receiver Freddy Williams (6-0, 180) caught more than 30 passes last season and 10 touchdowns. But his most impressive marks are his 3.2 GPA and 20 ACT score. Auburn, Vanderbilt and Duke have all offered. Defensive end Bobby Jackson (6-1, 213) has South Florida, Duke, Oklahoma State and FAU looking at him.

Linebacker Johnny Beautelus (6-1, 200) was injured last season, otherwise he would have more than the two Sun Belt schools in Louisiana chasing him.

''There has always been rich talent at Miami Jackson, it's just never really been put together,'' Balkcom said. ``It's just changing the mind-set of today's athlete. Everybody wants something given to them, but we're making them look beyond that. We want all of our guys to have a 2.5 GPA so they're ready for college.''

KILLIAN

No school in Miami-Dade has probably had more scouts come through its doors this spring than Killian. The Cougars, home to the county's top recruit in running back Lamar Miller, have had 75 colleges visit, according to coach Steve Smith.

''I've asked the administration if we can install one of those revolving doors so I don't have to get up anymore to answer it,'' Smith joked Thursday night. ``I'm not sure what to do about the phone calls though.''

Miller (5-11, 205) wasn't playing when I watched Killian defeat American 14-0 in a half of jamboree action three weeks ago. Smith and the staff thought it was best he rested his surgically repaired shoulder and concentrate on narrowing his college choices. Miller has. The nation's ninth-ranked running back (according to Rivals.com) is down to a list of about eight to nine schools, Smith said.

This summer, Smith said Miller could travel to several camps -- including Rutgers -- where he hopes to take in each school's atmosphere.

Miller, who told me in February that Miami and Florida were at the top for him, won't need to impress scouts on his trips. But his teammates at Killian still have work to.

Cornerback Keith Reaser (5-10, 165) and offensive lineman Gian Carlo Rivella (6-3, 275) are the only two other Cougars with offers. Both are from FIU. Reaser picked up his last weekend after attending FIU's camp. Smith believes it's only a matter of time before more start rolling in for both. Rivella has Auburn interested.

Quarterback Ricky Rowe (6-2, 180) has several lower-tier I-A schools and plenty of I-AA schools interested in his arm, according to Smith. Rowe can throw the ball 65 yards downfield on a line but likely will need to impress some more over the summer and the start of the season to draw offers.

There are other seniors Smith believes can play college football, including defensive tackle Robert Brown (6-0, 280), cornerback Philip Mion (5-9, 180), tight end Keith Dupree (6-2, 200), linebacker Chris Thorpe (5-10, 195), receiver Jelani Berassa (6-4, 180) and center Jermaine Forbes (6-3, 225).

The Cougars had several eye-opening underclassmen. The top three are 2010 cornerback Richard Leonard (5-10, 165) and 2011 linebackers Andrew Pittman (5-10, 185) and Arrington Jenkins (6-3, 215).

SOUTH MIAMI

Despite failing to win a playoff game in more than 20 years, few teams in South Florida have been as consistent in turning out quality football talent on a yearly basis like South Miami.

The Cobras produced the late great Derrick Thomas in the 1980s and in the past four seasons delivered defensive lineman Javier Estopiñan and offensive lineman Simon Codrington to Florida and sent center Brandon Davis to Florida State.

As usual, coach Eric Washington doesn't have a football team full of stars. But he has two can't-miss defensive ends who will almost surely be playing college football somewhere next fall -- 6-2, 235-pound senior Emilious Davis and 6-6, 200-pound end Paul Hazel.

Both were relentless when I watched them play against Edison in the spring. Davis, who has an offer from Western Kentucky and plenty of interest from Kentucky, South Florida and Marshall, was a bull rusher who used his quickness and toughness to get past linemen and toward the quarterback. Davis, the younger brother of Codrington, was extremely active and showed good pass-rushing ability despite looking awful light.

Washington said Hazel, who has interest in playing basketball at the next level, has interest from South Florida, Northeastern and FAU.

''Playing both sports at the next level is something he's really interested in,'' Washington said. ``And all of those schools have told him they could accommodate him in playing both.''