Braves' Taylor Off to Tennessee
Sun. January 08, 2012 at 2:27 a.m. | By Polk Preps Staff
Lake Gibson's Trent Taylor was named to the Class 6A All-State Team. (Photo by PIERRE DUCHARME | THE LEDGER )
By SOLANGE REYNER | THE LEDGER
LAKELAND | Lake Gibson lineman Trent Taylor was picked as a First-Team member of The Associated Press' Class 6A All-State team.
He wasn't in town to hear about it though, because he was already on his way to Tennessee to start classes as a college freshman.
He starts school on Tuesday.
Taylor, also PolkPreps.com's 2011-12 Large School Defensive Player of the Year, left for Tennessee on Saturday.
He finished his final class on Friday, an online Spanish class and scored two points higher on his ACT recently to be able to enroll early.
"He's the first one. He's the guinea pig," Lake Gibson defensive line coach Robert Whitaker said
"It's a great advantage for him because he can get in there and learn what college life is about before football starts and not be overwhelmed."
Taylor wasn't the lone All-State selection in 6A from Polk County. Teammate Kennard Swanson was picked for the second team as was Cody Seeley, the Braves' kicker.
Winter Haven's Levi Borders, Robert Thornton and Kendrick Holland made it onto the third team.
In 5A, defensive lineman Marvin Wright was picked for the second team. Ladaran Wilson, who also plays basketball for the Highlanders, was a third team selection along with quarterback Rolan Milligan.
In 7A, three Lakeland players were selected for the first team: Ohio State commit Ricquan Southward, Arizona state commit Evan Goodman and Jalen Stevenson, a junior defensive lineman who broke the single season sack record for the Dreadnaughts this year.
Quarterback Raheeme Dumas, this year's PolkPreps.com's Large School Offensive Player of the Year, was a third team All-State selection along with linebacker TJ Simmons.
Shykeem Pitts from Ridge Community was also selected to the third team in 7A.
LAKE WALES' MARCEL WHITE MULLING OFFERS
Lake Wales star forward Marcel White has gotten offers from several Division I colleges for basketball, he told The Ledger on Friday night after the Highlanders' 87-52 win over Bartow.
White, who is averaging 14.4 points a game for nationally ranked Lake Wales, has offers from James Madison, Oregon State and the University of South Florida.
Florida State University and Washington have also shown interest, said White, who also played football this season and has an offer from Florida Atlantic University.
"I want to stick with basketball but I'm not set on where I want to go yet," he said.
