It’s no secret that Plant City High School’s football recruits made a big splash last year. They even did enough for the school to be able to host a VTO Sports combine, which is no small feat.
And last year’s combine was such a success that, even without names such as Montel McBride and Sedrick King, VTO will be back on Saturday.
“We’re excited to be hosting it,” Raiders assistant head coach Greg Meyer says. “It drew a lot of players from all over the state last year, plus Georgia.”
After registration at 8:30 a.m., the players will take the field at 10 a.m. and be done by 3 p.m., and anyone can watch for free.
“They put on a pretty good show,” Meyer says. “It’s not just kids running around — it’s more like a showcase, a live event, than data recording.”
But, not just anyone can participate.
ON THE LIST
The VTO Elite 100 combines are invite-only, meaning one of two things: Players either had to be approved by VTO officials already, or prospective players need to get the VTO thumbs-up to get in on the action. This is serious business, and there are more than just VTO officials and high school coaches watching from the sidelines.
Expect to see members of some prominent media outlets on the recruiting beat. VTO Sports has a partnership with Yahoo! Sports property Rivals.com, considered one of the nation’s top dogs on the high school recruiting beat. Having such exposure helps athletes in any situation get noticed and can be a huge benefit for some who fly under the radar.
“24/7 Sports is coming,” Meyer says. “Rivals.com sends prospects here, writes articles about them. It really served our kids very well last year — helped some of our ‘tweener kids like Quincy Robinson and Lance Doenges get over the hump, and guys like Landon (Galloway).”
According to Meyer, all of Plant City’s soon-to-be seniors are participating in the event — including linebacker Sawyer Dawson, who has drawn attention from programs such as Alabama and Florida State. Raider fans can also expect to see sophomore offensive weapon Tavares “T.J.” Chase, whose name and film have been popping up all over the Internet this offseason.
Durant and Strawberry Crest high schools will be represented, too, though Meyer hasn’t confirmed which athletes will be there yet. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a big-time combine without the presence of some top Florida programs: Armwood, Plant and Lakeland, among others, will have kids competing.
IT’S IN THE GAME
Unlike many combines, the VTO Elite 100 doesn’t use some of the NFL Scouting Combine’s most popular events: There won’t be a 40-yard dash, and athletes won’t be asked to get reps on the weight bench.
Rather, this combine focuses on individual drills. Athletes will work on route-running, takeoffs and agility by position, have their height and weight measured, and then break off into one-on-one drills. These are often fun to watch, especially when a cornerback is asked to go head-to-head with a wide receiver or running back and try to cover the pass.
When athletes perform well, they get noticed. If the media misses something, then the staff — of which many members are former collegiate and NFL players — won’t. And their word is as good as any. Former offensive lineman Mo Collins, who won the 1996 National Championship with the Florida Gators and played for the Oakland Raiders, was one of last year’s coaches, and he got to work with players such as McBride.
And, in 2013, the Raiders’ athletes performed well.
“We dominated last year, with a lot of MVPs,” Meyer says. “We’re hoping to repeat that this year, though we don’t have as many D-1 prospects as last year.”
Although there are going to be marquee guys such as Dawson and Chase in the spotlight, Meyer expects some lesser-known guys to step up.
“Evan Crowell (OL/DL) is picking up an astounding amount of momentum, especially in the last few weeks,” he says. “The Ivy League schools are all interested — he’s a strong academic kid. Also, FAU, FIU, Mercer. He’ll draw some attention.”
Meyer also hope the combine goes well as a whole, because another good year has implications for 2015.
HANDSHAKE AGREEMENT
Plant City High doesn’t have a contract with VTO Sports to keep the combine in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. There’s just a mutual understanding between the two entities: Plant City is a great place to host such an event.
Really, it makes perfect sense from a geographical standpoint. Because a good amount of the state’s top programs are in the Tampa Bay and Orlando areas, it couldn’t be easier to hop on Interstate 4 and take a day trip. Schools from North and Southwest Florida just need to get on I-75 and drive for a few hours.
“As long as everything runs smoothly, they want to keep coming back,” Meyer says. “They see us as a good fit.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
EXTRA ACTIVITIES
Jarrett-Scott Ford will host its annual Drive 4UR School fundraiser from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 5, at the high school, 1 Raider Place.
Anyone age 18 or older can test drive a new Ford, and for every person who registers, Jarrett-Scott Ford will make a $20 donation to the school. All test drivers will get a free hot dog, too.
“We did very well last year,” Greg Meyer says. “We raised $6,000 last year and look to match that total again this year.”