Phantom Stang
08-30-2007, 09:37 AM
Amid controversy, Northwestern has something special
Posted on Tue, Aug. 28, 2007
BY ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ
a1fernandez@MiamiHerald.com
ANDREW ULOZA / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD
FOUR OF A KIND: Northwestern football players from left to right, Brandon Washington, Jacory Harris, Sean Spence and Aldarius Johnson will need to step up if the Bulls are to repeat as the Class 6A champions.
After Miami-Dade County Superintendent Rudy Crew briefly considered canceling the football season in July, he dismissed coach Roland Smith and the majority of his staff, and declared that the school would be put on a probationary period in the wake of last December's sex scandal involving former running back Antwain Easterling.
Northwestern, which already had a new principal (Charles Hankerson) following a grand jury investigation of the Easterling scandal, hired a new athletic director (Earl Allick) and a new coaching staff headed by Billy Rolle, who returned to Northwestern after six seasons at Killian.
''I've been blessed to have a good mom and dad, but it was hard for some of the guys who looked up to the former coaches as that father or big brother figure,'' senior defensive lineman Marcus Forston said.
``Coach Rolle really made us feel good when he came in. We told the guys give him a chance. Here's a guy that has gone through some of the same things we have when he was here the last time.''
Through it all, the Bulls relied on their close friendships to persevere through a tumultuous offseason that brought plenty of change to the nation's No. 1 ranked high school football team.
''The day after coach Smith got fired, Jacory and I brought the guys on the team together and told them to take two days off,'' Forston said. ``We called everyone back two days later and we ran our summer conditioning ourselves. We worked on drills and busted into a little 7-on-7. There were fans at the school watching us that couldn't believe there were no coaches around. That's when we knew we must really have something special here.''
While last year's state championship team is considered one of the best ever in Miami-Dade County, this year's squad has the potential to top it if it wins back-to-back titles for the first time in school history.
Northwestern will open the season ranked No. 2 nationally by Sports Illustrated and StudentSports.com, and Rolle has said he will not alter the formula on a team that scored 600 total points and returns eight starters on offense.
• Harris (6-4, 175) is the nation's fourth-best quarterback by Rivals.com, and one of five players orally committed to the University of Miami. This summer, he became the first South Florida quarterback to be chosen to the EA Sports Elite 11 National Quarterback camp where he won the ''Best Footwork'' Award.
• Wide receivers Aldarius Johnson (6-4, 200), the state's No. 7 overall prospect by Rivals.com and UM commitment, will try to best the county's single-season receiving records he set last year, and Tommy Streeter (6-6, 200) is entertaining offers from Alabama, Miami and South Carolina, after a stellar performance in Northwestern's 42-21 win against defending Class 3A champion Belle Glade Glades Central in the spring. Add to that talented senior receivers Kendal Thompkins, Brandon Drayton and Robert Demps, and you have one of the best receiving groups in the state.
• Offensive lineman Brandon Washington (6-5, 280), who transferred from Edison, is the nation's No. 9 guard by Rivals.com and a UM commitment. He will anchor the line along with 6-5, 320-pound senior Terrell Killings.
The one on-field question was who will replace Easterling's 2,503 yards and 33 touchdowns rushing?
Juniors Daquan Hargrett and Tyresse Jones, who were backups last year, and sophomore Corvin Lamb are the favorites for the starting role.
The defense that posted seven straight shutouts has seven starters back and is equally replete with Division I talent.
• Forston (6-4, 305) is the nation's No. 2 defensive tackle and No. 15 overall prospect by Rivals.com. He starred at the University of Florida's Friday Night Lights camp in July and committed to UM shortly after. He will anchor the line with senior defensive end Ben Jones (6-5, 280), who missed last season with a knee injury, and has offers from UM, UF, FSU, LSU and Ohio State to name a few.
• Senior Sean Spence (6-1, 200), a UM commitment, is the backbone of arguably the best linebacking corps in the state. Forston said senior Quavon Taylor (6-0, 195) is the hardest hitter on the team, and senior Levonte David (6-1, 200) has excellent quickness.
''Practicing on this team is practicing with the best,'' Washington said. ``These guys all deserve the rankings they've got because they are talented and they stay humble.''
Northwestern will make its bid for a national championship Sept. 15 when it takes on Southlake Carroll in a nationally-televised game in Dallas on ESPNU. Southlake Carroll has won 79 of the past 80 games, three straight Texas state titles, and was voted national champions last year by USA Today.
''The chance to play on national TV is not something every school can say,'' Forston said. ``We want to represent our community and our alumni in a good way.''
But representing off the field is paramount to the Bulls players.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools released a new student participation contract for county student-athletes earlier this month with strict guidelines for the Northwestern football team.
Forston said this season the Bulls will strive to change the negative perception that has lingered around the school in recent years.
''The first thing my mom asks me is about my report card, not the game,'' Forston said. ``That's the kind of stuff people don't see. They say we're a bunch of thugs playing football. We want to show everyone it's not like that at all.''
www.miamiherald.com/1141/story/217330.html
Posted on Tue, Aug. 28, 2007
BY ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ
a1fernandez@MiamiHerald.com
ANDREW ULOZA / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD
FOUR OF A KIND: Northwestern football players from left to right, Brandon Washington, Jacory Harris, Sean Spence and Aldarius Johnson will need to step up if the Bulls are to repeat as the Class 6A champions.
After Miami-Dade County Superintendent Rudy Crew briefly considered canceling the football season in July, he dismissed coach Roland Smith and the majority of his staff, and declared that the school would be put on a probationary period in the wake of last December's sex scandal involving former running back Antwain Easterling.
Northwestern, which already had a new principal (Charles Hankerson) following a grand jury investigation of the Easterling scandal, hired a new athletic director (Earl Allick) and a new coaching staff headed by Billy Rolle, who returned to Northwestern after six seasons at Killian.
''I've been blessed to have a good mom and dad, but it was hard for some of the guys who looked up to the former coaches as that father or big brother figure,'' senior defensive lineman Marcus Forston said.
``Coach Rolle really made us feel good when he came in. We told the guys give him a chance. Here's a guy that has gone through some of the same things we have when he was here the last time.''
Through it all, the Bulls relied on their close friendships to persevere through a tumultuous offseason that brought plenty of change to the nation's No. 1 ranked high school football team.
''The day after coach Smith got fired, Jacory and I brought the guys on the team together and told them to take two days off,'' Forston said. ``We called everyone back two days later and we ran our summer conditioning ourselves. We worked on drills and busted into a little 7-on-7. There were fans at the school watching us that couldn't believe there were no coaches around. That's when we knew we must really have something special here.''
While last year's state championship team is considered one of the best ever in Miami-Dade County, this year's squad has the potential to top it if it wins back-to-back titles for the first time in school history.
Northwestern will open the season ranked No. 2 nationally by Sports Illustrated and StudentSports.com, and Rolle has said he will not alter the formula on a team that scored 600 total points and returns eight starters on offense.
• Harris (6-4, 175) is the nation's fourth-best quarterback by Rivals.com, and one of five players orally committed to the University of Miami. This summer, he became the first South Florida quarterback to be chosen to the EA Sports Elite 11 National Quarterback camp where he won the ''Best Footwork'' Award.
• Wide receivers Aldarius Johnson (6-4, 200), the state's No. 7 overall prospect by Rivals.com and UM commitment, will try to best the county's single-season receiving records he set last year, and Tommy Streeter (6-6, 200) is entertaining offers from Alabama, Miami and South Carolina, after a stellar performance in Northwestern's 42-21 win against defending Class 3A champion Belle Glade Glades Central in the spring. Add to that talented senior receivers Kendal Thompkins, Brandon Drayton and Robert Demps, and you have one of the best receiving groups in the state.
• Offensive lineman Brandon Washington (6-5, 280), who transferred from Edison, is the nation's No. 9 guard by Rivals.com and a UM commitment. He will anchor the line along with 6-5, 320-pound senior Terrell Killings.
The one on-field question was who will replace Easterling's 2,503 yards and 33 touchdowns rushing?
Juniors Daquan Hargrett and Tyresse Jones, who were backups last year, and sophomore Corvin Lamb are the favorites for the starting role.
The defense that posted seven straight shutouts has seven starters back and is equally replete with Division I talent.
• Forston (6-4, 305) is the nation's No. 2 defensive tackle and No. 15 overall prospect by Rivals.com. He starred at the University of Florida's Friday Night Lights camp in July and committed to UM shortly after. He will anchor the line with senior defensive end Ben Jones (6-5, 280), who missed last season with a knee injury, and has offers from UM, UF, FSU, LSU and Ohio State to name a few.
• Senior Sean Spence (6-1, 200), a UM commitment, is the backbone of arguably the best linebacking corps in the state. Forston said senior Quavon Taylor (6-0, 195) is the hardest hitter on the team, and senior Levonte David (6-1, 200) has excellent quickness.
''Practicing on this team is practicing with the best,'' Washington said. ``These guys all deserve the rankings they've got because they are talented and they stay humble.''
Northwestern will make its bid for a national championship Sept. 15 when it takes on Southlake Carroll in a nationally-televised game in Dallas on ESPNU. Southlake Carroll has won 79 of the past 80 games, three straight Texas state titles, and was voted national champions last year by USA Today.
''The chance to play on national TV is not something every school can say,'' Forston said. ``We want to represent our community and our alumni in a good way.''
But representing off the field is paramount to the Bulls players.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools released a new student participation contract for county student-athletes earlier this month with strict guidelines for the Northwestern football team.
Forston said this season the Bulls will strive to change the negative perception that has lingered around the school in recent years.
''The first thing my mom asks me is about my report card, not the game,'' Forston said. ``That's the kind of stuff people don't see. They say we're a bunch of thugs playing football. We want to show everyone it's not like that at all.''
www.miamiherald.com/1141/story/217330.html