Not sure anyone knows that yesterday was national signing day for high school football players, as this is a minor event everywhere except …………..Anyway, I live in Palm Beach County, which produces more D-1 FBS football players than any county in the country not named Miami-Dade. There are some decent sized cities here - West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Boynton Beach all have well over 60,000 people - but the county has about 1.2 million people, half as many as Dade and far fewer than Broward (Ft. Lauderdale), Los Angeles, Dallas, Cook (Chicago), Harris (Houston), Cuyahoga (Cleveland) and almost all of the other football hotbeds. Located about 50 miles west of the cities, out in the “glades” by Lake Okeechobee, lies the smallest town in the county, Muck City: Pahokee.

Pahokee has around 6800 people. It is a very tight-knit community, not much in the way of money or jobs out there, but plenty of churches. Most people work in the agriculture business, working the sugar fields or orange crops. There isn’t much to do out there, many of the kids grow up doing without, almost 25% of the households are headed by single moms, and the median income for a family is about $26,000. 40% of the kids live below the federal poverty line. The city also has a pretty serious gang problem; the combo of lack of male role models combined with lack of opportunity rarely goes well. All is not bad in Pahokee, however. It has a stunning coastline along the Lake, some of the most fertile soil (called muck) on the planet, and the best high school football in America.

Anquan Boldin is a graduate. He went on to star at Florida State before becoming the toughest wide receiver in the NFL. He also wrote a check and built the school a stadium.

Fred Taylor, potential NFL hall of famer and Florida Gator legend: graduate.

Reidel Anthony, another Gator legend and first team All-American on the 1996 National title team, as well as the youngest player in NFL history to catch a TD pass, yeah, graduate.

Rickey Jackson, linebacker who finished his career with 120+ sacks, 28 fumble recoveries, 6 pro-bowl selections and was named to the State of Florida’s All-Century team is a graduate as well.

Antone Smith, Atlanta Falcons. Alphonso Smith, Denver Broncos. Vincent Smith, Michigan starting RB. Martavious Odoms, Michigan WR that Sparty will soon hate. Janoris Jenkins, Gators starting CB. The list just goes and goes, and it’s getting longer.

Pahokee won state titles in 2002, 2003, 2004, lost the title game in 2005, won the title again in 2006, 2007, and 2008. The 2007 team was crowned National Champion by USA Today. These are Florida state titles, they don’t just hand them out. You need to be ridiculously talented to win just one, let alone 6 in 7 years. The 2008 team had to deal with the gang murder of Norman “Pooh” Griffith, a good kid on his way to playing linebacker for the Gators before he was shot in the head for his gold chain while leaving a dance. Last season was an off year, the team lost 3 games and failed to make the title game. Not exactly sure what happened, the defense was not as good as usual, but the team was still loaded with talent. Which brings us to yesterday:

Chris Dunkley, top 10 WR, Steve Smith clone, fast as sin, tough as nails, will START for Florida next fall.
Richard Ash, 6’4″ 270 lb DE, headed to Michigan, will be hurting Spartan QB’s soon enough.
De’Joshua Johnson, top 50 WR, sub 4.4, Florida State.
Zachary Allen, top 75 LB, already enrolled at Wake Forest
Fred Pickett, top 100 WR/RB headed to Marshall
Merrill Noel, CB Wake Forest
Antonio Ford, top 40 G, enrolled at Wake Forest
Doral Willis, 300 lb OL, enrolled at Alabama St.
Raheam Buxton, had an offer to The U before he even became a starter, will head to Western Michigan instead.
3 more players also signed with D-1 schools.

That’s 10 D-1 FBS and another 1AA FCS player from one class. A tiny, public school. That’s as many as Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey, a school that recruits nation wide and was declared National Champ by USA Today.

I have no idea why a small, poor sugar town in the middle of a swamp is able to produce such copious amounts of football talent. It really borders on insanity. The water? The muck? The fried catfish and gator nuggets? Whatever it is, Pahokee is a special place for high school football.

patphish is a senior writer and editor at Sparty and Friends. Email him at patphish@spartyandfriends.com

patphish

Punch an otter in the face. UConn hoops, Irish football, Mets, Jets, Bruins and Bulls.

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