Former Broward County high school football and baseball stars making moves

Three former Broward County prep stars have made news recently – Roman Anthony, the No. 1 prospect in baseball; Damien Alford, the No. 1 pick in the Canadian Football League draft; and Brian Van Belle, who was traded three weeks ago and may be on the cusp of the major leagues.

Here’s a closer look:

▪ Anthony, who played his high school ball at Stoneman Douglas, has had a monster month.

On June 7, while playing for the Boston Red Sox Triple-A team, Anthony hit a 497-foot grand slam that was the longest homer in pro baseball this season.

Two days later, he made his MLB debut. Then, on June 10, he earned his first major-league hit, a two-run double. And, on Monday, he blasted his first MLB homer, a 391-foot shot that helped Boston defeat host Seattle, 2-0.

“He looks really comfortable,” Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald said of Anthony’s adjustment to the majors. “He’s not overmatched. He looks like he belongs.

“I was happy to see him get his first homer out of the way. Now he can relax and do what he was born to do, which is to be a big-leaguer for a long time.”

That homer, by the way, was hit off 2024 All-Star Logan Gilbert, and the exit velocity was 104 mph.

None of this is surprising for Anthony, who is already an important Red Sox player at age 21 as he is batting third and playing right field.

Out of high school in 2022, Anthony turned down a scholarship offer from Ole Miss, choosing instead a $2.5-million signing bonus with the Red Sox.

Anthony could turn out to be a steal for the Red Sox, who drafted him with pick No. 79. He is on a team with other South Floridians – manager Alex Cora is a former Miami Hurricanes shortstop; and first baseman Triston Casas, who is currently injured, played for Plantation American Heritage.

At 6-3 and 200 pounds and with a lefty swing, Anthony has long had impressive power. Three years ago, while still in high school, he slugged a 450-foot homer during an all-star game at Colorado’s Coors Field.

Since then, he has honed his game, and scouts say he makes good swing decisions. Couple that with his raw power, and Anthony’s future is bright.

“He’s playing in a great city – they are really passionate about baseball in Boston,” Fitz-Gerald said. “The more he performs, the more he will be loved there.”

▪ Alford, a 6-6 and 210-pound wide receiver from McArthur High, was selected No. 1 overall this year by the Calgary Stampeders.

A native of Montreal who is fluent in French, Alford made his CFL debut on June 14, grabbing one pass for 31 yards against the Toronto Argonauts.

Pierre Senatus, who now coaches Southridge, mentored Alford at McArthur. Alford played his college ball mostly at Syracuse, although he spent the 2024 season with Utah.

Senatus said Alford, a 24-year-old who also competed in basketball in high school, could play in the NFL at some point in his career.

Alford has extremely large hands, and Senatus compares him to former NFL star Terrell Owens at similar stages of their careers.

“Damien has a freakish skill-set,” Senatus said. “He has a huge catch radius and legit 4.4 speed on every rep.

“With his long strides, he closes gaps on defensive backs, and then he accelerates past them.

“Once he gets a shot at a contested catch, he can use his basketball background to put his foot on the ground and go get the ball.”

▪ Van Belle, a right-hander who played his high school ball for Archbishop McCarthy, was acquired by the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. He had posted a 5-1 record with a 2.29 ERA with Boston’s Triple-A team.

At age 28, Van Belle could be close to getting that call to the majors.

“He was a late bloomer,” said Rich Bielski, who coached Van Belle at McCarthy. “But it won’t surprise me when he does great things in the majors.”

The “late bloomer” tag makes sense. After all, Van Belle was an ace reliever but not a starter on the powerhouse McCarthy teams that won two state titles while he was there – in 2013 and 2015.

He then spent three years at Broward College – including two that he sat out due to injuries – before becoming a standout (11-2 record) in two seasons at the University of Miami.

In 2020, the Red Sox signed him as an undrafted free agent, and now he is on the MLB doorstep with a Reds organization that is lacking rotation depth.