While everyone is preaching safety and keeping their distance when it comes to spreading the dangerous Coronavirus, 7-on-7 football is still being played.
Tough to tell a 14, 15, 16 and 17-year-old to sit home and do basically nothing while local and national leaders figure out how to stop the spread of this deadly disease.
Kids will be kids, but more than that, as their world has been crushed and shutdown in every direction, football players, who are out of school, away from practice and have NO live sports watch or see, are taking part in 7-on-7 events.
Nobody can predict the future, and certainly with the teenagers watching death across the country – and throughout the world – you cannot blame these kids for finding a release.
As adults protect themselves with every precaution available and continue to preach to the youngsters to do the same, unfortunately, these are the times we are living in.
This past weekend, a south Florida area 7-on-7 took place for a few “all-star teams”, which are made up local high school athletes who are looking to gain an edge, and while very little media and fan website attention are covering these events, they are still going on – with no disrespect to those who continue to fight the fight.
One of the programs that has flown under the radar this 7-on-7 season has been the South Florida Lightning, which has a new regime and a completely different roster than in the past. Behind the media spotlight of more recognized programs such as the South Florida Express, Florida Fire and Immortals, this is a group of extremely talented football players who have done very well this off season.
Loaded with highly-recruited prospects – much like their more well known rivals – the Lightning have turned heads and grabbed attention with four straight championships in the four tournaments they have taken part in.
While none of the powers previously mentioned have played in the same tournaments as the Lightning, but as time moves on and the virus is more under control, there is great anticipation of that happening.
As we spotlighted them in late winter, this team is led by Coaches Mike Bailey, James Hill, Calvin Wallace and Rick Jacobs and features some of south Florida’s finest football prospects from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
Among those prospects include: Class of 2021 standouts Brunel Desinor, DB, Deerfield Beach, Frederick Eaford, WR, Deerfield Beach, Miles Friday, RB, Davie Western, Marquis Gant, DB, Deerfield Beach, Michael Jordan, WR, Deerfield Beach, Jamarion McDougle, WR, Deerfield Beach, Omarion McDougle, Athlete, Deerfield Beach, Hayward McQueen, LB, Fort Lauderdale Stranahan, Jalen Neal, DB, Deerfield Beach, Phillip O’Brien, DB, Deerfield Beach, Tykwon Owens, DB, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, Hugo Silsby, DB, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons, Omar Simpson, DB, Fort Lauderdale Stranahan, Corde St. Louis, DB, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons and Steven Terevus, WR, Deerfield Beach.
There are also Class of 2022 prospects such as Decarlo Donaldson, WR, Gulliver Prep, Joseph Kennerly, WR, Deerfield Beach, Jaziun Patterson, RB, Deerfield Beach, Deshawn Trowers, RB, Palm Beach Central and standout quarterback Peter Zamora, Deerfield Beach.