Golden arms: Toman and Pierce

R.J. Toman (right) and Michael Pierce were teammates for one season at the University of New Hampshire.

A red-shirt sophomore in 2008, Toman was stepping in as the starting quarterback after the graduation of the acclaimed Ricky Santos. Pierce was a freshman recruit out of Andover High, the reigning Merrimack Valley Conference Player of the Year.

Toman started 13 games, threw for 3,110 yards and 28 yards. Pierce watched from the sideline and then transferred to Saint Anselm

On Wednesday, Toman and Pierce were each recipients of the weekly Gridiron Club of Greater Boston Gold Helmet Awards from the New England Football Writers. The UNH senior collected Division 1 honors, with the Hawk sophomore earning the nod in D2-3.

A native of Mission Viejo, Calif., the 6-foot-1, 212-pound Toman guided the 16th-ranked Wildcats to a 31-10 victory over Lehigh, completing 26 of 37 passes for a career-high 348 yards through the air, while contributing 19 more on the ground. His first of four touchdowns on the day came on 1-yard fade in the corner of the end zone to Joey Orlando. The drive began with a 51-yard bomb from Toman to senior Kevon Mason, the longest pass play of the season for UNH. With the game tied at 10, Toman found Terrance Fox for a 21-yard touchdown strike, giving the Wildcats a lead they would not relinquish. Toman added 14-yard touchdown passes to Dontra Peters in the second quarter and Orlando again in the third.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Pierce set a single-game school-record with 408 passing yards, completing 24 of 37 attempts, in a 45-35 win over Pace. His first touchdown broke a 7-7 tie when he hit Marc Wilson for an 11-yard score. Pierce connected with Marcel Bouie on a 56-yard deep ball to push the Hawks lead to 39-20 in the third quarter.

He contributed 42 yards rushing for 450 total yards, a mark that is second only to his own school-record of 496 set last year against Stonehill.

Northwestern football makes history!

On Thursday, while Miami Northwestern was beating Hialeah Miami Lakes 38-12 in a District 13-6A football game at Milander Stadium in Hialeah, the Bulls made history with this tradition-rich program.

With over 30 players suspended from the game for an altercation that took place the week before, the Bulls were left short-handed – to say the least.

While a number of offensive players, including University of Miami commits Eli Rogers and Teddy Bridgewater played on both sides of the ball, to make up for the loss of nearly the entire defensive unit, it was also a week off for the junior varsity program.

With the number of varsity players barely reaching 25, head coach Billy Rolle called upon some ninth and 10 graders from the junior varsity squad to come up for the game. One of those athletes called up for the game was Jaline DeJesus, a sophomore defensive back.

When DeJesus dressed and took part in the warmups, she was the first female in Northwestern High history ever to dress for a varsity football game. When she entered the contest with less than a minute left and played left cornerback, DeJesus accomplished another first – playing for the No. 1 rated 6A team in Florida!

“I told our players before the game, they had the chance to be part of history,” said Rolle. “She works hard and deserved the opportunity to dress just like the other athletes we brought up for the game.”

The Bulls remained unbeaten as Rogers, Bridgewater and the rest of the team rolled over the Trojans, and at least for one day, DeJesus had the chance to run with the Bulls!

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUCE SUPANIK

So. Florida Football Schedule – Week 3

Here is the complete third week of the season schedule for South Florida teams:

BROWARD THURSDAY North Broward Prep at Port Orange Spruce Creek, 6 St. Thomas Aquinas at Boyd Anderson, 7 Everglades at Miramar, 7 Cardinal Gibbons at University School, 7 West Broward at Coral Glades, 7 Piper at Coral Springs, 7 Cypress Bay at Deerfield Beach, 7 Northeast at Dillard, 7 South Broward at Douglas, 7 Taravella at Blanche Ely, 7 Nova at Fort Lauderdale (Lockhart), 7 South Plantation at Hallandale Pines Charter at McArthur, 7 Pompano Beach at Somerset Academy, 7 Sheridan Hills Christian at Westminster Academy, 7   FRIDAY Plantation American Heritage at Jacksonville Bolles, 7 Boca Raton St. Andrews at Pine Crest, 4 South Florida HEAT at Highlands Christian, 7   MIAMI-DADE WEDNESDAY Boca Raton Christian at Princeton Christian, 4 Doral Academy at Mourning (North Miami), 7 Hialeah Miami Lakes at Hialeah Gardens (Milander), 7 Sunset at Miami High (Curtis), 7   THURSDAY Coral Springs Charter at Archbishop Carroll, 3:30 Southwest at Homestead (Southridge), 4 Belen Jesuit at Gulliver Prep, 4 Central at Miami Beach (Memorial), 4 Hillel at Palmer Trinity, 4 Jackson at Norland (Traz), 7 South Dade at Columbus (FIU), 7 North Miami Beach at Edison (Curtis), 7 Booker T. Washington at North Miami (North Miami), 7 Northwestern at Hialeah (Milander), 7 Killian at South Miami (Tropical), 7 Ransom Everglades at Miami Country Day, 7 Varela at Southridge (Harris), 7   FRIDAY Champagnat at Village Academy, 4 Archbishop Curley at Naples St. John Neumann, 7 Upperoom Christian at Miami-Dade Christian, 7 Westminster Christian at Mater Academy, 7 Summit Christian at Florida Christian, 7:30   MUNROE FRIDAY Coral Shores at Marathon, 7:30 St. Cloud at Key West, 7:30 p.m.   THE PALM BEACHES THURSDAY West Boca Raton at John I. Leonard, 7 Jupiter at Seminole Ridge, 7 Palm Beach Gardens at Royal Palm Beach, 7 Santaluces at Wellington, 7 Spanish River at Park Vista, 7 Suncoast at Palm Beach Lakes, Inlet Grove at Palm Beach Central, 7 Okeechobee at Stuart South Fork, 7 Stuart Martin County at Eau Gallie, 7   FRIDAY John Carroll at Pope John Paul II, 7 Jupiter Christian at Lake Worth, 7 King’s Academy at Orlando Bishop Moore, 7 Pahokee at Dwyer, 7 Port St. Lucie at Fort Pierce Central, 7 Treasure Coast at Palm Bay, 7 Delray American Heritage at Glades Central, 7 Glades Day at Clewiston, 7 Fort Pierce Westwood at Vero Beach, 7 Atlantic at Boynton Beach, 7

Vincent, Jones and King on radio

Two weeks are in the books, and as we head toward the third week of the 2010 high school football season, the High School Gridiron Report checks out some of the top games this week.

Larry Blustein, The Big O and Mike Levine welcome in Everglades quarterback Matt Vincent, Hallandale head coach Dameon Jones and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Shaun King to Wednesday night’s show between 9-10 on WQAM (560 AM).

VINCENT STEPPING UP After last week’s convincing 42-14 win at Bushnell South Sumter, the 6-2, 185-pounder threw for 244 yards and 4 touchdowns.

This Thursday night, he and the Gators have the chance to make a statement when they travel to defending 6A state champion Miramar in a city battle that has come down to the wire over the past two years.

Vincent is being looked at by several colleges, and as his stock rises, others will follow.

WHAT A TURNAROUND After an 0-10 season last year, the Hallandale Chargers brought back Dameon Jones to bring the program back to where it was when he left two years ago.

Starting off the season 2-0, Hallandale will play South Plantation this week as Jones and his alma mater look to make it three straight to begin the season. The Chargers enjoyed an impressive off season as well.

HE’S THE KING King, who works for ESPN as well as hosts an afternoon radio show in the Tampa Bay area, played college football at Tulane University from 1995 to 1998, leading Tulane to an undefeated season and a win over Brigham Young University in the Liberty Bowl, in the process setting the single-season NCAA Division I-A record for passing efficiency in 1998 of 183.3. His quarterback coach was Rich Rodriguez and his head coach was Tommy Bowden. He finished 10th in voting for the 1998 Heisman Trophy.

King, who graduated from St. Petersburg Gibbs High is a 1995, was drafted in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Near the midpoint of the 1999 season, quarterback Trent Dilfer suffered a season-ending injury, thrusting King into the starting quarterback role.

King took over the offense, and helped rally the team to the NFC Central title, and a victory over the Redskins in the divisional playoffs. A week later, the team fell just short of Super Bowl XXXIV when they lost the NFC Championship 11-6 to the St. Louis Rams with King at the helm.

You can follow the show vie the internet at www.wqam.com. You can also follow recruiting with Larry Blustein on www.twitter.com/larryblustein.

Florida State Poll – Week 1

Here is a look at the first full week of the high school football season in the state of Florida, courtesy of Associated Press:

Class 6A                     1. Miami Northwestern (14) 1-0 2. Miramar  0-0 3. Miami Central 0-1 4. Apopka 1-0 5. Orlando Dr. Phillips1-0 6. DeLand 1-0 7. Miami Southridge 1-0 8. Orlando Olympia 1-0 9. Daytona Beach Mainland 0-1 T10. Plantation 0-1 T10. Winter Park 1-0                  OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Miami Krop 5, Miami Christopher Columbus 3, Orange Park 2, Clermont East Ridge 1.

Class 5A                    1. St. Thomas Aquinas (4) 1-0 2. Bradenton Manatee (6) 1-0 3. Tampa Plant (4) 1-0 4. Lakeland (1) 1-0 5. Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson 1-0 6. Pompano Beach Blanche Ely 1-0 7. St. Petersburg 1-0 8. Clearwater Countryside 1-0 9. Daytona Beach Seabreeze 1-0 10. Fleming Island 1-0 OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Palm Bay Bayside 5, Orlando Evans 5, Jacksonville First Coast 2, Kissimmee Osceola 1, Oviedo 1.

Class 4A              1. Seffner Armwood (9) 1-0 2. Dwyer (6) 0-1 3. Punta Gorda Charlotte 1-0 4. Niceville 1-0 5. New Smyrna Beach 1-0 6. Lakeland Kathleen 0-1 7. Orlando Edgewater 0-1 8. Tallahassee Lincoln 0-1 9. Columbia 1-0 10. Palm Bay 1-0 OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Pensacola Pine Forest 11, Gainesville 9, Cape Coral 8, St. Cloud 5, Tarpon Springs 3, Largo 3, Crestview 3, Lynn Haven Mosley 2, Stuart Martin County 1, Jacksonville Ed White 1, Lakeland Lake Gibson 1, Bradenton Lakewood Ranch 1, Tampa King 1.

Class 3A                     1. Tampa Jefferson 1-0 2. Lake Wales 1-0 3. Pensacola 1-0 4. St. Augustine 1-0 5. Miami Booker T. Washington 1-0 6. Miami Belen Jesuit Prep 1-0 7. Fort Pierce Westwood 1-0 8. Winter Haven 1-0 9. Miami Jackson 1-0 10. North Marion 0-1 OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: South Fort Myers 8, St. Augustine Menendez 4, Miami Norland 4, Naples 1, Ponta Vedra Nease 1, Land O’Lakes 1.

Class 2A                          1. Belle Glade Glades Central (12) 1-0 2. Cocoa 2-0 3. Robinson 1-0 4. Plantation American Heritage 1-0 5. Orlando Jones 1-0 OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Tallahassee Godby 19, Tampa Jesuit 14, Madison County 12, Baker County 6, Orlando Bishop Moore 6.

Class 2B                            1. Jacksonville Bolles School (15) 1-0 2. Pensacola Catholic 1-0 3. Ocala Trinity Catholic 1-0 4. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna College 0-1 5. Tampa Catholic 0-1 OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Mount Dora 39, Cape Coral Island Coast 14, Pahokee 13, Miami Gulliver Prep 13, Taylor County 7, Tallahassee Florida 6.

Class 1A                                 1. Jacksonville Trinity Christian (13) 1-0 2. Fort Meade (2) 1-0 3. Melbourne Central Catholic 1-0 4. Delray American Heritage 0-1 5. Berkeley Prep 1-0 OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Tallahassee North Florida Christian 19, Providence 19, Clearwater Central Catholic 12, Bristol Liberty County 8, The Villages 7, Orlando The First Academy 7, Blountstown 6, Holy Trinity Episcopal 6, Miami-Dade Christian 6, Wildwood 6.

Class 1B                    1. Jupiter Christian (11) 1-0 2. S. Daytona Warner Christian (3) 1-0 3. Monticello Jefferson County 1-0 4. Belle Glade Glades Day (1) 0-1 5. Lakeland Victory Christian 1-0 OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Melbourne Florida Air Academy 19, Hawthorne 7, St. Petersburg Admiral Farragut 6, Lake Mary Prep 6, Lakeland Santa Fe Catholic 6.

Statewide Scoreboard – Week 1

THURSDAY’S GAMES Coral Gables 20, Hialeah-Miami Lakes 10 Davie Western 6, West Broward 2 Gonzalez Tate 30, Washington 20 Homestead South Dade 39, Sunset 0 Lantana Santaluces 39, Boca Raton Spanish River 0 Legacy (Co.) 26, Chaminade-Madonna 23 Merritt Island Christian 49, St. Joseph 13 Miami Christopher Columbus 35, Palmetto 3 Miami Country Day 33, McArthur North 0 Miami Dr. Krop 37, Edison 6 Miami Ronald Reagan 39, Hialeah Gardens 6 Miami Varela 23, South Miami 7 (Suspended) North Miami Beach Hillel 26, Sheridan Hills 13 Palm Bay 41, Astronaut 7 Palm Beach Central 40, Royal Palm Beach 6 Pembroke Pines Somserset 50, Mourning 13 Pompano Beach Ely 34, Stranahan 6 Port St. Lucie 29, Forest Hill 6