Dillard Is Florida’s Best Kept Secret

For those who follow football in the Sunshine State, there are so many programs who are on the verge of breaking out. Fort Lauderdale Dillard is one of them. Pay no attention to the fact that the Panthers were elevated to 7A – with national powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas becoming a major obstacle – this program is indeed on the verge, like all the other athletic programs at the school, of breaking out in a major way. One of the largest 6-12 public school programs in the state, Dillard has already started to make some rather large waves – with 8^th graders taking their place on the varsity program. Remember, this is a team that has won 18 of their past 19 games – and are easily the biggest secret in Florida, and it’s not even close. With alumnus <strong>Tyler Tate</strong> taking over with the untimely and tragic passing of head coach <strong>Eddie Frazier</strong> in the spring of 2020 was something that not only hit the Dillard community hard, but to high school football coaches, fans and players all over the country, his passing was something that was close to home for so many. After finishing 12-1 in 2019 and going undefeated (6-0) this past season, including a 6A Tri-County title, Tyler and his coaches have been working hard this spring – with Tate, a three-time state champion offensive coordinator at Chaminade-Madonna, who was excited about coming back home. In winning the 6A South Florida Tri-County Gold Bracket championship, 32-6, over North Miami Beach, this program capped off a perfect season and left everyone believing that 2021 could be special. Wins over Fort Lauderdale (42-20), McArthur (58-6), Blanche Ely (38-0), Pahokee (49-6) and Glades Central (31-6) showed just how solid this program is. <strong>2022 IS LOADED WITH TALENT</strong> There is no getting around that the Panthers, who moved up to 7A recently, are very talented in this rising senior class. Among the game-changers include nationally-rated <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50036" first="Nyjalik" last="Kelly"]</strong> (DE, 6-5, 240) and FSU commitment <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50078" first="Devaughn" last="Mortimer"]</strong> (WR, 5-11, 180), who are both among the best in the state and have been promoted nationally. Also, top-flight prospects such as <strong>Method Bradley</strong> (RB, 5-11, 185), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="50295" first="D’Mon" last="Brinson"]</strong> (CB, 5-11, 180), <strong>Christian Murphy</strong> (LB, 6-2, 215), <strong>Stephen Landers</strong> (SS, 6-1, 190) and receiver <strong>Jaccari Shakes</strong> (6-3, 185) are also heavily recruited in a class that is indeed stacked with talent. Other players to watch in the 2022 class include <strong>Jalen Coleman</strong> (CB, 5-10, 170), <strong>Vondarius Faulkner</strong> (G, 6-1, 285), <strong>Cornelius Fuller</strong> (SS/LB, 6-1, 175), <strong>Darryl Garrett </strong>(WR, 6-1, 180) and <strong>Zantwon James</strong> (SS/OLB, 6-0, 190). There is also receiver <strong>Travis Jean</strong> (5-10, 170), <strong>Delvin Jones</strong> (OLB, 6-0, 205), versatile <strong>Navar Maine </strong>(QB/WR, 6-0, 190), <strong>Avontae Smith</strong> (CB/S, 6-1, 190) and <strong>Daniel Smith-Wilson</strong> (LB, 6-0, 215) <strong>IMPRESSIVE 2023 PROSPECTS</strong> The future of this program begins with this class – a group that has two years left together. Standouts such as <strong>Christopher Alexadre</strong> (OL, 6-6, 320), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="128692" first="Joshua" last="Bowen"]</strong> (OLB, 6-3, 210), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="128382" first="Jaferris" last="Finley"]</strong> (RB, 5-9, 185), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="128079" first="Rico" last="Jackson"] </strong>(OT, 6-5, 285), <strong>Chris Johnson</strong> (Athlete, 5-11, 180), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="128796" first="Trevaughn" last="Martinez"]</strong> (DB, 5-11, 175) and <strong>Chauncey McArthur</strong> (WR, 6-3, 180) are going to be needed for this team to continue making strides. Depth will also be crucial, and with <strong>Walter Jackson</strong> (RB, 5-10, 180), <strong>Aiden Norcius</strong> (WR, 5-11, 180), <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="128337" first="Armani" last="Norcius"]</strong>, QB, 5-10, 180) and corner back <strong>David Law-Mortimer, </strong>a 5-9, 170- pounder. <strong>THE FUTURE WILL BE VERY SPECIAL</strong> When looking at the Class of 2024 prospects that the Panthers will roll out this spring, you see future standouts. Some that have already made an impression. Among those who are expected to step up in 2021 include <strong>Antoine Jackson</strong> (CB, 6-1, 175), <strong>Zyon Pressley</strong> (CB, 5-9, 170), <strong>Aykenon Rodgers</strong> (S, 5-10, 185) and gifted <strong>Marcus Striggles</strong> (WR, 5-8, 170) That much talked 2025 class also has some very promising talent – with <strong>Armoundo Blount </strong>(DL, 6-3, 235), <strong>Brandon Joseph</strong> (DL, 6-3, 290) and <strong>Andreus Madison</strong> (WR, 5-11, 185). <strong>TRACKING FLORIDA: Teams Look At 2021 Season. </strong>https://prepredzone.com/2021/03/tracking-florida-teams-look-at-2021-season/ <strong><em>You Can Contact [player_tooltip player_id="111610" first="Larry" last="Blustein"] with prospect or team information at: Floridakids1@aol.com. We are also on Social Media on @PrepRedzonefl.</em></strong>