Super Sixteen: Polk's Top Prospects Giving it All They Have to Finish Year Strong
Sun. October 14, 2012 at 1:00 a.m. | By Solange Reyner
Lakeland's Jalen Stevenson (#96) celebrates one of his four sacks against Bartow at Bryant Stadium in Lakeland at the end of September. Lakeland won 17-10 in overtime. (Photo by SCOTT WHEELER | THE LEDGER )
1 - Andre Palmer, WR, Lake Region - averaging 17.6 yards per catch but has only been thrown to seven times this season. Palmer is often the focus of opposing teams' defensive efforts and is sometimes double-teamed or played man-on. He has 155 yards receiving, and his biggest performance thus far was against Bartow on Sept. 14 when he had three catches for 82 yards. Lake Region is 0-5.
Offers from Coastal Carolina and Ball State
2 - Jarius Garner, Ath, Mulberry - being used in a multitude of ways for Mulberry, which is 3-4 this year. Has rushed for 194 yards, thrown for 64 and has two defensive interceptions for the Panthers.
Offer from Memphis; interest from Miami, Marshall and Rutgers
3 - Freddie Stevenson, LB, Bartow - leads the county in tackles with 84. Against Lakeland on Sept. 28, Stevenson had 18 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in a 17-10 loss. Bartow is 3-3 this season.
Committed to Florida State
4 - T.J. Simmons, LB, Lakeland - had 50 tackles, 20 for losses, through Friday. Had a big game against Bartow on Sept. 28 when he posted 15 tackles, a sack and a quarterback knockdown. Lakeland is undefeated at 7-0.
Offers from Indiana, Iowa State and Western Kentucky
5 - A'Treyu Farrior, QB, Kathleen - has a passing rating of 104.9 and has helped Kathleen to a 5-2 record. On the season, he is 56-for-115 with 684 yards. Has also rushed for 401 yards. Had a big performance late in the game against George Jenkins when he connected on two big pass plays to help the Red Devils rally to win it. One was a 75-yarder to Ja'Von Harrison and later a pickup of 38 yards to help put Kathleen in scoring territory.
Offers from Bethune-Cookman and South Alabama
6 - David Jones, LB, Lake Wales - had 34 tackles and four sacks before Friday's game against Haines City. The linebacker has helped Lake Wales' hard-nosed defense keep the team in games. Jones also has five tackles for a loss this season. Lake Wales is 4-2.
Interest from Forida Tech, Jacksonville, Iowa State, Florida Atlantic University
7 - Shykeem Pitts, Ath, Ridge Community - has been hobbled by a knee injury and hasn't played much on offense. Defensively, he's been solid. Pitts had a stellar game against Fort Meade on Sept, 28, intercepting two passes and blocking a punt. Ridge Community is 5-2.
Offers from Marshall and Tennessee; interest from Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Florida State
8 - Tyler Brown, RB, Lake Gibson - leads the county in rushing with 829 yards and has 10 touchdowns this season. He helped lift the Braves to a 28-24 win over Winter Haven on Oct. 5, a game in which he rushed for 135 yards and three touchdowns. He scored the game winner in that district contest. He's averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Lake Gibson is 7-0.
Committed to Iowa State
9 - Bobby Leath, DL-OL, Lake Wales - playing both ways on the line for Lake Wales, which is 4-2. As the nose tackle in Lake Wales' 3-4 defense, Leath had 14 tackles and two sacks before Friday's game against Haines City. He's also been key in the Highlanders' solid rushing efforts. Lake Wales is averaging 222.1 yards per game on the ground.
Top five Offers: Florida, Kansas State, Nebraska, South Florida and Iowa State.
10 - De'Vante Clark, RB, Fort Meade - has been hobbled by a shoulder injury but still has 398 yards rushing on the season. Against Frostproof in a district win on Oct. 5, he rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. Fort Meade is 5-1.
Interest from South Alabama and Ohio University
11 - Jalen Stevenson, DE, Lakeland - fourth in the county with eight sacks for Lakeland, which is ranked No. 4 in the state in Class 7A. Stevenson had a stellar performance against Bartow in a defensive slugfest on Sept. 28, racking up four sacks for minus-28 yards.
Offer from Indiana
12 - Vontarius West, DB, Bartow - has 36 tackles and three interceptions this season and has also fared well on special teams. Against Lakeland on Sept. 28, he returned a kickoff 74 yards to tie the game and force overtime. Bartow is 3-3.
Top 5 offers: South Florida, Memphis, Florida International, Central Florida, Houston
13 - Eric Carter, WR, Lake Gibson - leads the county in receiving yards with 502 and touchdown receptions (6) for the Braves, who are 7-0 ranked No. 7 in Class 6A in the state. Carter is still undecided on what college he will attend.
Top 3 offers: Cincinnati, Missouri, Minnesota
14 - Kyle Jones, OL, Mulberry - is Mulberry's top offensive lineman has helped the Panthers to a 3-4 record. The three wins are one better than the team had last year.
Committed to Florida International
15 - Kennard Swanson, DT, Lake Gibson- had 23 tackles, four for losses, and four sacks before Lake Gibson's win over Ridge Community Friday. Is also used as the team's fullback and running back in short yardage situations. The Braves are 7-0.
Committed to LSU
16 - Adam Lane, RB, Winter Haven - is second in the county in rushing with 752 yards, Lane also has scored six touchdowns for the Blue Devils, who are ranked No. 10 in the state in Class 6A. He's had big games this season, including a 228 yard rushing performance in a district win over Kathleen on Sept. 21. Is averaging nine yards per carry. Winter Haven is 5-1.
Committed to Florida
