After last weekend’s South Florida Express 7-on-7 football tryout at McArthur High stadium in Hollywood, it was evident that it’s tough to beat the original.

On Saturday, with national, statewide, regional media and talent evaluators on hand, well over 130 players flocked to be seen, and after two full days of this tryout, they were.

While many others continue to try and emulate what Brett Goetz and his group of former NFL players, high school coaches and former members of this team have done, they are not exactly doing what Goetz has been about since the first day he started this.

What the South Florida Express has done from the very start is give South Florida area football players a chance – between their junior and senior year – to compete against high level competition, travel to see potential colleges and gain an experience of playing for a program that’s only objective is to make the athlete better.

What Goetz and his group have done is find like minded people who care about the kids and continue to not only provide a place to get better on the football field, but also work on things that may improve them in getting college attention.

The idea of having a number of teams is great, and I applaud everyone who has gone about this. But if you’ve ever attended any of these events, you will understand that while winning is great, developing is what this is all about.

Having coaches who have played and competed at the highest level counters anything that anyone else can do.

Ask any media member or scout on hand last weekend and all will talk about the organization, instruction, competition and planning that has gone into this for months.

As many local football fans and coaches continue to pull away and bad mouth the South Florida Express, maybe they should use the same formula, having coaches who will elevate the players they have for a few months out of the year.

Again, while I applaud what other people are doing to step up, winning is not the only thing that will be the end result. There are many players who need the instruction – to help them get better.

One of the best things about South Florida Express event is they want to promote players. They do not hide kids and even have rosters that everyone has to give these players maximum exposure. That has not happened at any of the other event we attend.

As for the talent, there were several players who turned heads, and while they were being discovered for the first time by many, they were rising athletes we have been fortunate to have on the radar for years.

WHO IMPRESSED – 2013
Adrian Baker, DB, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna.
Troy Cook, QB, Miami Palmetto.
Wendell Dunn, S, Miami Palmetto.
Jermaine Grace, LB, Miramar.
Chris Herise, LB, Miami Central.
Xavier Hines, DB, Miami Belen Jesuit.
Robert Jones, OLB, Miami Monsignor Pace.
Darrin Lawrence, DB, Miami Palmetto.
Alex Lee, RB, Miramar.
Rashard Robinson, DB, Pompano Blanche Ely.
Sojourn Shelton, DB, Plantation.
Bramond Snell, RB, Miami Carol City.
Jamar Stokes, WR, Hialeah Mater Academy.
Dionte Taylor, WR, Davie University School.
Anthony Walker, Jr., LB/S, Miami Monsignor Pace.
Chris Washington, Jr., DB, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas.
Treyvon Williams, LB, Miami Norland.

WHO IMPRESSED – 2014
Timothy Bellinger, RB, Miami Beach
Peyton Bender, QB, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons.
Kelly Benson, QB, Miami Monsignor Pace.
Hunter Boyette, QB, Miami Westminster Christian.
Henderson Gray, DB, Miami Monsignor Pace.
Nicholas Jeanty, QB, Fort Lauderdale Archbishop McCarthy.
Sasha Kelsey, WR, Miami Christopher Columbus.
Cameron Rigby, RB/DB, Miramar.
Emmanuel Soto, WR, Fort Lauderdale Archbishop McCarthy.
Kwasim West, WR, Miramar
Sean White, QB, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna.
Quincy Wilson, S, Davie University School.

WHO IMPRESSED – 2015
Rashard Causey, Jr., RB/DB, Davie University School
Tyrek Cole, DB, Miramar.
Devante Peete, WR, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely.

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