Prep Notebook: Bartow's Stevenson Garnering Many Offers
Fri. March 02, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. | By Solange Reyner
By SOLANGE REYNER
THE LEDGER
LAKELAND | The Division I offers are rolling in for Bartow senior football player Freddie Stevenson, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker who can also bruise through defenders on offense running the ball.
Stevenson, who played both ways for Bartow last season, has been offered Division I scholarships from Vanderbilt, North Carolina State, Marshall, Iowa State, Western Kentucky, Massachusetts, Duke, Florida International and Mississippi, coach Brett Biggs said Thursday.
Most of the offers have come over the course of the last week, Biggs said.
Stevenson, who recently returned from a weekend trip to the University of Miami’s Junior Day with teammate Rico Mathis, is also receiving interest from the Hurricanes, the USF and UCF.
Stevenson is mostly being recruited as a linebacker at the next level but Biggs said recruiters also love him at running back, too.
“He’s got all the qualities of a player who can compete in the ACC and the SEC,” Biggs said. “He’s a really skilled athlete. He’s fast, he’s a great player and he’s disciplined.”
Stevenson said he will most likely focus on playing one position this season.
“I’m going to concentrate more on linebacker. I like both positions but I like to hit people more,” Stevenson said. “Plus the college coaches think I’ll have more success at linebacker.
Mathis, who also plays at linebacker and running back for Bartow, has gotten interest from Miami, Western Kentucky and USF, Biggs said.
LAKE GIBSON’S ERIC CARTER PICKS UP SECOND OFFER
Lake Gibson receiver Eric Carter was offered a football scholarship from the Massachusetts on Friday, line coach Robert Whitaker said.
It’s the second offer for Carter. The first was from Cincinnatti on National Signing Day.
The Braves’ Kennard Swanson is also continuing to get looks. The 6-foot-1, 260-pound defensive lineman got an offer from the Southern California a few weeks ago and is also garnering interest from Miami and USF.
LCS’ HOUK NEEDS VOTES TO COMPETE IN NATIONAL 3-PT CONTEST
Lakeland Christian senior shooting guard Whitney Houk could compete in the American Family Insurance National High School Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships at the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans on April 1 if she gets a little voting help on Facebook.
Houk was selected as one of the finalists for the social media contest after she submitted a video on MaxPreps.com, a site owned by CBS.
If Houk is the top vote getter on the Facebook site, she will book her ticket to compete in the nationally televised event.
Houk, who had 93 3-pointers this season and shot 40 percent from beyond the arc for the Vikings, finished with 266 career 3-pointers at Lakeland Christian.
The site to vote is https://apps.facebook.com/highschool_slam/.>
