Tampa, April 20, 2019- Happy Friday eve everybody. Today, we take a look back at a small handful of standouts that showed out among the 17 different schools and 31 formed teams from those schools at BCP’s Bull in the Ring camp; courtesy of Larry Sanders Progress Village Sports Complex. The skill players had their fun earlier this year, and still can in this upcoming E7TC Summer Camp with the big guys. This past Sunday though, it was time for the frontlines to shake the weights and make some noise, and man did they do that and more.
2022 Auburndale G/T Arquis Ward- First up, this FRESHMAN offensive guard and tackle proved early on he could hang and out-muscle the older competition, with his staggering 6’2″ 250+ size and brute strength. The big fella threw up 31 reps on the 70-pound dumbbell bench and battled it out with his fellow bloodhounds to earn the 10th spot of all teams, tallying 906 points on the day. More importantly, giving Auburndale a proud foreshadow of what’s to come in the near future for their offensive protection.
2021 Dunedin DE/TE Sam Mahoney- This upcoming 5’11” 165-pound junior showcased his belt of athletic versatility throughout the entirety of the strenuously engaging five-hour workout. Sam stacked up impressively against the bigger challengers, using his quick, decisive bursts off the line and his grit was front and center in every drill. Mahoney finished 2nd in the med ball push seen below, and 3rd in the hex bar squat (called it what you want, squat, hex deadlift, you’re performing both motions) with 26 reps as a top finisher. Not a bad outing at all for the Falcon squads in their Bull in the Ring debut. According to MaxPreps, his regular season sophomore efforts reeled in 40 total tackles, all being solo, tacked on 4 sacks and 26 receiving yards for Dunedin.
2020 Durant DE Jackson Sykes- Last but certainly not least, this 6’1″ 250-pound student-athlete raised some serious brows off the edge on camp day, with his sneaky speed and low center of gravity. The rising senior recently received his first offer from RPA college this past month, and for a well-earned reason. In his junior campaign, Jack posted 20 total tackles and 11 solo in 7 games played depicted by MaxPreps data. The film doesn’t lie though, and Sykes was a predominant piece on every time he dug his cleats in the trenches; jamming defensive holes left and right. Double team or not, he consistently pressured and assisted in bringing down the ball carrier with his reach and powerful leverage; establishing his presence brings dependable value at the next level.
Vaughan Sixbury, BCP Contributor