By Michael Bielecki
Sebastian — Sebastian River High School will be looking to build on the momentum fom its last-second preseason victory against Vero Beach Friday night when it opens the regular season against North Broward Prep.
“They have a rich tradition and they’ll bring a very good, athletic and disciplined team,” said Sharks Coach Randy Bethel. “Our kids just have to avoid an emotional letdown following a win against a tough rival.”
North Broward Prep has two of the best football players in Florida in senior quarterback Brandon Daughty and senior running back Ethan Grant. Daughty is the seventh-rated pro-style QB (according to Scout.com) in the state and is coming off a season in which he threw for 2,400 yards and 29 TDs. “He can throw the ball a country mile,” said Bethel. “We can’t let him sit in the pocket and throw the ball.”Grant, who has already committed to the University of Oregon, is ranked the 14th-best running back in the state (Scout.com). Grant ran for 1,000 yards and 25 TDs last year, and runs 100 meters in 10.4 seconds.
A great defensive backfield helps the Sharks, as seniors Cortez Ash, Calvin Christian, and Javon Jones look to build on great performances from last week. Ash and Christian each delivered bone-jarring hits last week and it was Jones, who made the clutch interception to seal the victory last week.
While Sebastian running back Fred Macon doesn’t have any big scholarship offers (yet), he certainly has the ability to take over the game. He should eclipse the 800-plus yards he had last year about six games into the year, and as he goes, so will the Sharks.
Next to Pahokee, SRHS is the second toughest game on North Broward Prep’s schedule. While the Sharks may not be favored here, they certainly are good enough to win with a few breaks and limited mistakes.