Jacksonville FL- Deciding what High School your child should attend can be a complicated process for parents. Factors that go into the decision include academic programs offered, diversity, size, and graduation and college attendance rates. One very important factor to parents who have children who excel in extracurricular activities is sports programs. And with the passing of Florida House Bill 7029 which allows students to attend any public school in the state with space available, parents and young athletes now have a wider range of schools to choose from.
One particular group of student athletes with extremely important decisions to make are the rising 9th graders who start High School in the 2017-18 school year. These athletes and their parents will make a decsion that will most likely shape their child’s academic and athletic futures for years to come. It’s the equivelant to a High School Signing Day where High School seniors choose their future colleges.
At our recent Duval Sports Top 50 event Presented by Allstar Commercial Services,the Top 50 Middle School football athletes in Northeast Florida were honored for their outstanding achievements on the field and in the classroom. In addition to being acknowledged, each athlete announced where they would be attending High School in the fall. These decisons are extremely important to the rising 9th graders, but also the local High School teams as the future of their programs rests with these families.
To put it in persepctive. Six of our 2016-2017 Top 50 middle school football athletes from last year have already recieved D1 collegiate offers. Chris Johnson TE/DE (Ribault), Robert Simmons DB (Lee), Walter Simmons III QB( Oakleaf) , Aaron Jones RB (Bartram Trail), Patrick Bryant WR (Atlantic Coast) , and Jakobi Myers QB (Ponte Vedra). Chris Johnson received an offer from the University of Miami as rising 9th grader. Knowing this, Duval Sports invited several athletes to speak to the class of 2022, including ESPN 300 and UM Commit Fletcher’s Wide Receiver Jeremiah Peyton. Rising 10th grader and UM offered Patrick Bryant, rising 10th grader and Howard offered Aaron Jones, and rising 10th grader and Oregon offered Robert Simmons.
There are critics out there who suggest that a middle school football athlete’s decision to attend High School is irrelevant or irrational. That the school choice parameters shouldn’t apply to football athletes. Well time has shown that these critics are severely out of touch. Especially considering the fact that this year’s Duval Sports Top 50 Middle School Football athletes posses two individuals who’ve already received D1 collegiate offers before ever setting foot on a High School Football Field. Matthew Gilbert’s Jeremiah Huntley (FAU), and Trinity Christian’s Treyaun Webb (Miami, Valdosta State, Florida Atlantic). Webb incredibly is a rising 8th grader! The future is now, as colleges search middle schools for the top football athletes in the country. That’s why their decisons in picking the right High School matters immensly. It’s their right, it’s their choice, it’s their future.
Check out where each Duval Sports Top 50 Middle School Football athlete will be going to school this year.
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* Rising 8th Graders
Lake Asbury HS
Alquerious Arkel (Que) Ray – Clay HS
Green Cove JH
Ryan Lester – Clay HS
Oakleaf JH
Donovan Shannon RB,- Oakleaf HS
Liberty Pines Middle
Eric Weatherly- ATH – Bartram Trail HS
Gamble Rogers Middle
Aaron Wynn- RB – Menendez HS
King Benford- QB – Menendez HS
Swiss Point Middle
Dominic Fields- RB – Bartram Trail HS
Fruit Cove Middle
Vince Apprabato – LB/TE – Creekside HS
Cedar Creek Middle
Milton Bailey LB – Cedar Creek HS
Dupont Middle
Christian Ellis- RB/OLB – Sandalwood HS
Gilbert Middle
Jaheim Singletary – Lee HS
Kareem Burke- Raines HS
Carlton Butler ATH
Jeremiah Hutley – Sandalwood HS
Jaheim Odom ATH – Raines HS
Anthony Williams OL/DL
David Hamilton – Terry Parker HS
Ribault Middle
Chris Calhoun – Ribault HS
Freddie Manning – Ribault HS
Quincy Burroughs – Raines HS
Jerome Manning ATH – Raines HS
Shaun Davis DL/OL – Ribault HS
Javari Williams RB – Yulee HS
Ja’Won Grey WR/DB – Ribault HS
Anthony Thomas-RB – Ribault HS
Jeff Davis Middle
Kaloun Walker- RB – Westside HS
Jaylen Sonnier-QB – Jackson HS
Savion Wells DB – Lee HS
Masiah Wells DE – Lee HS
Charles Thompson -WR/DB
Michael Brannon RB – Lee
Landmark Middle
Anthony Kirkland RB – Sandalwood HS
Mandarin Middle
Kylon Washington RB- Lee HS
Mayport Middle
Jacob Corley ATH – Terry Parker HS
University Christian Middle
Larry Edwards QB – First Coast HS
Jakob Merhout OL – Atlantic Coast HS
Kyree Hammond WR – Raines HS
William Belton RB – University Christian HS
Arthur Fatz Walker RB – University Christian HS
Trinity Christian Middle
Daniel Plummer III QB – Trinity Christian HS
*Treyaun Webb- RB/DB – Rising 8th Grader
Xander Ross WR/DB – Trinity Christian HS
Runye Norton WR/DB – Trinity Christian HS
Al Gipson WR/ DB – Lee HS
Arlington Middle
* Sayvion Blount, – Rising 8th grader
Fletcher Middle
Aaron Hester- Fletcher HS
Twin Lakes Middle
Jalen Deadwyler – Atlantic Coast HS
Kirby Middle
Josh Boykins- First Coast HS
Southside Middle
Brian Williams QB – Paxon HS
Landon Middle
Jack Damon – Duval Charter HS
