We take a quick second to highlight a couple of guys that make their living on the island–while residing in the peninsula. East Lake’s Joshua Bowers and St. Pete’s Anthony Johnson Jr. are a couple of 2018’s that will make their presence known the next two seasons in Pinellas. Bowers stands at 5-foot-9, 165-pounds and brings some thunder for the Eagles to the gridiron while Johnson Jr. is a long 6-feet, 150-pounds of ball-hawking ability that usually produces lightning for the Green Devils.

Bowers finished the season with 16 tackles for East Lake–11 of those solo–showcasing his physical aggressiveness to take on players and effectively stopping them when he made contact. He was also credited with a fumble caused and a fumble recovered along with showing he can make plays on special teams as well. Some of his best highlights showcase his speed in which he hunts returners and running backs from the opposite side of the field. That closing speed also allows him to never be too far out of position in order to break up the pass as well.

Johnson Jr. showcased his ball-hawking skills this season with five interceptions for St. Pete and was credited with 22 tackles and ten pass deflections on the season. His frame is long and his athleticism is more than enough for him to create issues for receivers with good cover skills. When he’s got the ball in his hands after making the play on defense, he’s a threat to score.

Needless to say, opposing quarterbacks on the schedules of East Lake and St. Petersburg, you’ve been warned. We can’t wait to track the progress of these two prospects along with many others in Pinellas for this offseason and next two seasons to come.