There’s plenty to watch for this Friday evening when the Hawks of Viera take on the juggernaut that is St. Thomas Aquinas. The Hawks aren’t just some sort of feel-good story with a 20-5 record over the past two seasons and now an appearance–one they earned with victories over Lakeland and on the road at Lake City-Columbia–in the state championship. It’s almost required that the Raiders make an appearance year-in and year-out at this time in the land of Mickey Mouse. They’ve yet again used a embarrassingly rich roster of talent to make it to this point and we’ve got two of them highlighted for you–of course Aquinas has been decimated by injuries this season–so you may not find one of the more “obvious” names on the list that will join his brother in Columbus this fall. Enjoy the fantastic four prospects from the Class 7A state championship.
VIERA:
WR – Tre Nixon (6-1/170) –74 receptions, 1,224 yards, 18 touchdowns. Class 7A Player of the Year as awarded by the Florida Dairy Farmers Association. Nixon’s one of the most confident players on both sides whenever he steps out on the field. Nixon’s speed and his hands are weapons of course, but he’s also got a nice big chunk of “that dawg” in him as well. Has a top three of Florida, Georgia and Penn State.
QB – Hayden Kingston (5-11/175) –238-of-366, 3,659 yards, 39 touchdowns-10 interceptions//95c-317-5TD’s rushing–has just one offer which is from Florida A&M. Obviously–coaches are going to be a little concerned with size at the position, but there isn’t a throw that Kingston can’t make and he’s been quietly racking up these kinds of numbers for the last two seasons along the Space Coast.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS:
WR – Trevon Grimes (6-3/180) –played in just eight games due to an ankle injury early in the season. Now has caught 24 passes for 426 yards and seven touchdowns for the Raiders in his time on the field. Has been claiming Ohio State as his favorite for a while now–but Michigan’s Jedd Fisch popped on to campus this past Monday to check-in on the 4-star’s status. Grimes is a classic possession receiver and uses his frame to snatch the ball out of the air with great body control and ball skills.
WR – Sam Bruce (5-9/170) -committed to Miami. Son of former NFL player Isaac Bruce. The speedy slot WR can do just about everything you ask him to do–whether it’s catch passes or run the ball–or even return kickoffs and punts. Bruce has caught 41 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 165 yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns. He’s also credited with 291 yards in returns on special teams.