BMarkey
01-18-2006, 05:23 PM
Here's a guy who might be falling through the cracks...
Park Vista's Scott still waiting to be discovered
By Steve Dorsey (steve_dorsey@pbpost.com)
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Tonight's Outback Steakhouse senior all-star football game at Royal Palm Beach High School will be the last time several of the area's players put on a helmet and pads in a competitive situation. For others, it's the final opportunity to provide video highlights for college recruiters.
Among the latter is Park Vista senior running back Gawain Scott.
http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/08/72/39/image_2139728.jpg (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/content/sports/epaper/2006/01/14/a1c_outback_0114.html#)
Gawain Scott was a
defensive back at
Santaluces before
transferring to Park Vista
and making the switch
to running back.
Scott rushed for 1,144 yards and 13 touchdowns in eight games this season. Despite those statistics, college football coaches have not been beating a path to Scott's home with scholarship offers for the 5-foot-11, 190-pound tailback, and that baffles Park Vista coach Terry Gough.
"I don't know what it is," Gough said of why recruiters aren't more interested in Scott. "Recruiting is crazy."
Gough coached a few Division I prospects at Pope John Paul and John I. Leonard before accepting the coaching job at Park Vista, a second-year program. Among them was Jerry Westbrooks, who signed with Ohio State a few years ago, and Charles Frederick, who played at Washington. Gough isn't touting Scott as the next coming of Emmitt Smith or Reggie Bush, but he's confident that Scott has the ability to play at the next level.
The fact that Park Vista is a fledgling program that never has produced a college player could be one of the reasons that Scott has not generated the kind of attention Gough believes Scott deserves. He was not on the radar screen of recruiting services when pre-season ratings were posted, and Park Vista didn't exactly attract college recruiters the way programs such as Glades Central, Pahokee and Palm Beach Lakes did this season.
Also, Scott played defensive back at Santaluces in his sophomore year before transferring to the new school in Boynton Beach and switching to running back.
"He's not the prototype tailback because he doesn't have quite the field vision or shake to him that the really good tailbacks have," Gough said of Scott, who averaged almost 25 carries a game. "But he has deceptive speed. We ran the legs off him, so he can take a pounding. He's very durable."
Gough said Scott might be more suited to play safety in college, but he also thinks Scott could be a strong candidate to play fullback if he gains a few pounds, something easily achieved while playing in a college program.
"I don't agree with the cookie-cutter mentality," Gough said of the way college recruiters tend to judge and project potential talent. "It's maddening. It's sad and very frustrating."
The soft-spoken Scott has a positive attitude about his future in football. He shrugs off the recruiting snub and has faith that a coach will "discover" him.
"I'm just being patient," Scott said Thursday before practice for tonight's game. "(Tonight) is my chance for people to see me against the best."
Scott said he doesn't care if he plays offense or defense in college. He just wants a chance to keep playing football while earning a degree in business.
"Hopefully, something will show up," Gough said.
Unfortunately, this is a so-called "dead week" for NCAA recruiters, meaning college coaches have not been allowed to attend practices this week or attend tonight's game. That's another strike against players such as Scott, who could use tonight's game to grab the attention of college coaches. That's why Gough is making sure that the game will be video-taped.
All he wants is for someone out there to pay attention when he sends them the film.
Park Vista's Scott still waiting to be discovered
By Steve Dorsey (steve_dorsey@pbpost.com)
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Tonight's Outback Steakhouse senior all-star football game at Royal Palm Beach High School will be the last time several of the area's players put on a helmet and pads in a competitive situation. For others, it's the final opportunity to provide video highlights for college recruiters.
Among the latter is Park Vista senior running back Gawain Scott.
http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/08/72/39/image_2139728.jpg (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/content/sports/epaper/2006/01/14/a1c_outback_0114.html#)
Gawain Scott was a
defensive back at
Santaluces before
transferring to Park Vista
and making the switch
to running back.
Scott rushed for 1,144 yards and 13 touchdowns in eight games this season. Despite those statistics, college football coaches have not been beating a path to Scott's home with scholarship offers for the 5-foot-11, 190-pound tailback, and that baffles Park Vista coach Terry Gough.
"I don't know what it is," Gough said of why recruiters aren't more interested in Scott. "Recruiting is crazy."
Gough coached a few Division I prospects at Pope John Paul and John I. Leonard before accepting the coaching job at Park Vista, a second-year program. Among them was Jerry Westbrooks, who signed with Ohio State a few years ago, and Charles Frederick, who played at Washington. Gough isn't touting Scott as the next coming of Emmitt Smith or Reggie Bush, but he's confident that Scott has the ability to play at the next level.
The fact that Park Vista is a fledgling program that never has produced a college player could be one of the reasons that Scott has not generated the kind of attention Gough believes Scott deserves. He was not on the radar screen of recruiting services when pre-season ratings were posted, and Park Vista didn't exactly attract college recruiters the way programs such as Glades Central, Pahokee and Palm Beach Lakes did this season.
Also, Scott played defensive back at Santaluces in his sophomore year before transferring to the new school in Boynton Beach and switching to running back.
"He's not the prototype tailback because he doesn't have quite the field vision or shake to him that the really good tailbacks have," Gough said of Scott, who averaged almost 25 carries a game. "But he has deceptive speed. We ran the legs off him, so he can take a pounding. He's very durable."
Gough said Scott might be more suited to play safety in college, but he also thinks Scott could be a strong candidate to play fullback if he gains a few pounds, something easily achieved while playing in a college program.
"I don't agree with the cookie-cutter mentality," Gough said of the way college recruiters tend to judge and project potential talent. "It's maddening. It's sad and very frustrating."
The soft-spoken Scott has a positive attitude about his future in football. He shrugs off the recruiting snub and has faith that a coach will "discover" him.
"I'm just being patient," Scott said Thursday before practice for tonight's game. "(Tonight) is my chance for people to see me against the best."
Scott said he doesn't care if he plays offense or defense in college. He just wants a chance to keep playing football while earning a degree in business.
"Hopefully, something will show up," Gough said.
Unfortunately, this is a so-called "dead week" for NCAA recruiters, meaning college coaches have not been allowed to attend practices this week or attend tonight's game. That's another strike against players such as Scott, who could use tonight's game to grab the attention of college coaches. That's why Gough is making sure that the game will be video-taped.
All he wants is for someone out there to pay attention when he sends them the film.