Redzone Spring Watch: Santa Fe Catholic Hawks

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As spring practices emerge for high schools around the state of Florida, I wanted to highlight some of the local schools in the Polk County area which has been a known hotbed county in producing athletes and talented football players. Our sixth stop features our first private school Santa Fe led by new head coach Clint Miller. The Hawks finished 6-2 last season after taking a loss in the SSAC 5A championship but actually took home the SSAC 11-Man AAA state championship trophy a season ago (21-22). Prep Redzone scout Drew Johnson will turn to his backyard to attend one of the first week's spring practices for a glimpse of the system and a few notable risers. Let's get into some of the key players making noise this fall season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Practice Summary: The Hawks were down multiple players at today's practice due to a team flu but I was still able to get my eyes on some rising private school talent. The MVP standout of the day was Dathan Glover who showed off his ability to be a playmaker on both sides of the ball. Class of 2026 G [player_tooltip player_id='1143144' first='Riley' last='Cooper'] is going to develop into a versatile ball player but really dominated on the offensive line today. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px"><strong>Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Julian Franzino | RB | @julianfranzino</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stats: 1 Gp - 18 carries - 187 yards - 1 TD</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudl: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/v/2JgCVd">https://www.hudl.com/v/2JgCVd</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jayden McPherson | WR | @JaydenM012</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stats: 2 GP - 4 receptions - 101 yards - 50.5 YPG - 1 TD</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudl: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16175633/Jayden-McPherson">Jayden McPherson - Hudl</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conor Herrera | QB </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px"><strong>Class of 2025 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dathan Glover | WR/DB | @DathanG3_</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Made my way to Santa Fe to get my eyes on rising playmaker<strong> Dathan Glover</strong> who displayed his ability to be a playmaker on both sides of the ball for the Hawks. Glover is flat-out an athlete with plenty of time to add weight to be a national prospect. Look really good getting out his breaks today and showed off sharp route running skills with the ability to stack opposing defenders with decent speed. The defensive side of the ball is where Glover looks to make his mark. Started off with an interception and made some decent tackles in the open field. Glover is a rising prospect that college coaches should become familiar with before fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stats: 1000 yards combined Freshman/Sophomore season - 8 INTs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudl: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/v/2Jn90s">https://www.hudl.com/v/2Jn90s</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Caleb Lackey | WR/DB | @CalebLackey11</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudl: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16167742/Caleb-Lackey">Caleb Lackey - Hudl</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"18px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:18px"><strong>Class of 2026 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1143144' first='Riley' last='Cooper'] | G/T | @RileyCo91361498 </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The big dawg of the day was the freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1143144' first='Riley' last='Cooper']. He pushed kids almost out to the parking lot today and showed his ability to play the linebacker position because of his speed and footwork. This is the definition of a hidden gem that could develop into a notable prospect. Going to keep my eyes on his overall progression. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudl: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/v/2Jh69m">https://www.hudl.com/v/2Jh69m</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->