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Brett Goetz has always been good at putting things together.   He once put together picnics for underprivileged kids.  He brought back an optimist football program in South Beach, Florida.  He even arranged for trophies to be handed out to kids with perfect attendance in elementary schools in Miami Beach.    However,  nothing he has put together has brought him more attention than the amassing of high school football talent he has harnessed over the last four years.

Once a small gathering of local football talent to go compete in a 7-on-7 tournament,  the South Florida Express tryout has turned into a grand thoroughfare.

“When we started four years ago we invited 30 kids to tryout and 35 kids showed up,”  said Goetz.  “Now we get 200 kids to tryout.”

Kind of reminds you of the progression of Rocky Balboa drinking raw eggs in a tiny apartment in Rocky I to Rocky Balboa the sports car driving mansion owner in Rocky IV.   This year’s South Florida Express tryouts drew as Goetz said, roughly 200 of the most talented football players in South Florida and probably the country.   It also attracted approximately 40 reporters from a wide range of recruiting publications looking to get the jump on next year’s hot recruiting prospects

“I started this to get the kids some attention,  never thought it would get this much,”  Goetz explained.

Last year’s version of the South Florida Express brought home the Badger Sports  national 7-on-7 tournament championship.   This only meant that more eyes would be on the gathering of talent this year and boy has it ever.   Talent has never been an issue for Goetz’s teams,  in fact,  after falling short the two previous tournaments,  the Express was starting to feel some heat for failing to win it all.   Goetz’s teams theoretically were the most talent rich in all of the tournaments but could never seem to win it all.

Taking a look at the list of players who have come through the roster,  you can see where people were coming from: Jamal Berry (Ohio St.),  Etien Sabino (Ohio St.).  Geno Smith (West Virginia),  Ivan McCartney (West Virginia),  Steadman Bailey (West Virginia),  Jeremy Cash (Ohio St.),  Ethan Grant (TCU),  Jakhari Gore (LSU), Eduardo Clements (Miami),  Tony Grimes (Ole Miss) just to name a few.

Last year,  Goetz’s South Florida Express team was the runner up in the regional tournament in Tampa and gained a berth to the national tournament in Alabama.  As a treat for the players,  Goetz,  once again put something good together and took his players on a college tour.  On their way to Alabama,  Goetz and South Florida Express made stops at Florida St., LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama and Florida.  It was an opportunity for players,  most of which could not afford to take unofficial visits,  to see several of the schools that were recruiting them.   This year,  Goetz has preliminary plans to take the Express to Georgia Tech, Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson and Alabama.

The attention that has been received as a result of all this talent coming together has not all been positive.  Goetz has been called a “street agent” and a shill for certain colleges among other things.

“I guess it’s hard to believe that someone can do this for the kids as opposed to everyone else that’s trying to make money on these kids,”  said Goetz.  “I’ve been working with kids and giving back for a long time.”

One of the biggest attacks on Goetz has been that he is on Ohio St.’s payroll and is somehow getting compensated by the Buckeyes to steer his athletes their way.  Goetz believes that was likely started by a fan of a school that missed on one of his players.  It was spearheaded by three of his early participants,  Etiien Sabino, Travis Howard and Jaamal Berry attending Ohio St.

“What people don’t know is that their (Sabino and Howard) assistant coach at Krop was Sonny Spielman (father of Chris Spielman) and a huge Buckeye fan,”  explained Goetz.  “He was the one who told Sabino to go to their summer camp after his sophomore year and he fell in love with it.”   Goetz would further explain that Howard wanted to play with Sabino so he checked out Ohio St. and loved it too.  A year later,  Berry became a Ohio St. signee and Goetz got painted as a shill for the Buckeyes.

“I grew up a Cane fan and went to every game as a kid,”  said Goetz.  “Then I became a Gator fan when I went to school there.”   Goetz points out that five of last year’s South Florida Express players signed with  Louisville earlier this month so he’s expecting the Cardinal payroll rumors to get cranked up any minute now.

Goetz never played the game of football but if you’ve seen him at the tryouts or any of the South Florida Express practices,  he’s got everything under control.  Goetz’s mastery of bringing things together has included garnering help from some of the best local football minds at the high school level.  While they are cooking up the X’s and O’s,  Goetz is making sure that everyone has what they need; from the kids, to the coaches to the reporters that are trying to get the info they require on the prospects.

When you get 200 plus players to show up for your tryout,  it’s almost impossible not to put together one helluva talented team and that is certainly the case with this year’s edition of the Express.

“I still need more time around these guys to see if there’s chemistry like last year but we are deeper this year as far as talent,”  said Goetz.   Few would argue.  Anyone familiar with the South Florida high school football scene realizes that the roster is a who’s who of playmakers in the southern tip of perhaps the most talent rich region of the country.   One of the roster members,  Deon Bush, has pulled down 20 offers since the tryouts two weeks ago.  Another,  Tracey Howard,  has been invited to the Army All-American game.

It will be another crazy ride for Goetz and his South Florida Express team but it’s all in an offseason’s work for the mastermind Goetz and his crew.

High School Football, Hurricane Sports Nation aj leggett, akeem jones, amari cooper, avery johnson, brandon snell, daniel braverman, dashad tucker, david reed, deandre jasper, deon bush, devonte mathis, dinero moss, duke johnson, ej hillard, eric kinsey, freddie davey, gunnar holcombe, hugs tieene, isaac mcdonald, jeremiah mckinnon, joseph mcclary, keith brown, macgarrett kings, malcolm lewis, nequan phillips, ricardo lewis, sojurn shelton, sony michel, stacey coley, tracey howard, tyler cameron, willie bailey

By: Kyle Blank – www.Hurricanesportsnation.com

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Suprise commit Rashawn Scott out of Melbourne Central Catholic High. Scott didn’t play against the highest level of ompetition this season, but he obviously caught the eyes of the UM coaching staff.

Scott stands in at 6″2 198 and runs a 4.5 in the 40. Scott chose Miami over West Virginia, USF, Michigan St., Illinois as well as others. Scott is not afraid to go into coverage, or go over the middle. He is a tough minded receiver that doesn’t mind stretching out for balls. Stay tuned for more on this surprise commit.

Hurricane Sports Nation

By: Kyle Blank – www.Hurricanesportsnation.com

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Former Miami kicker Matt Bosher had a brilliant career at Miami, but unfortunately he will be graduating and the Hurricanes need a replacement for him. Former Michigan commit Matt Goudis will be competing for a spot as the Miami kicker in 2011. Recently we got a chance to catch up with Matt.

HSN: Matt congratulations on your commitment. How does it feel to be a cane?

Matt Goudis: It feels great to be a part of a program with great tradition like the Hurricanes.

HSN: What was the major difference between the Michigan Wolverines and the Hurricanes?

Matt Goudis: There was a variety of factors that led to my switch. I grew up in South Florida and I have a lot of family and friends down there. I also prefer kicking in a warm weather climate like Miami as well. The final factor that led me to become a cane was coach Al Golden. He is not only a great coach, but he is also a great guy. I believe he will get the program turned around.

HSN: What was your favorite part of your visit? What part of the trip did you enjoy the most, and why did you end up committing while you were still on campus?

Matt Goudis: I loved that the weather was in the 70′s in January. That was great. I also could see that the coaches understood teh importance of having a good kicking game. That’s why I made my decision.

HSN: What are your feelings toward the coaching staff?

Matt Goudis: They’re great, they are relentless recruiters, and they are determined to get Miami back to being a national power.

HSN: The canes already have a kicker on their roster in Jake Weiclaw. Did that affect your decision? Do you think you can come in and play right away as a freshman?

Matt Goudis: I committed knowing about that situation. I just feel that if I compete I will get a chance to play as a true freshman. All I want is a chance.

HSN: Matt Bosher was a fan favorite for his hustle on special teams. Would you be willing to make a tackle if necessary?

Matt Goudis: Yes, I pride myself on being an athletic kicker. I played some defensive back in high school and I ran a 4.5 in the 40. I have no problem going in to make a stop.

HSN: Is kicking more about leg muscle or technique?

Matt Goudis: A good mix of both.You have to be strong and explosive on kickoffs, but technique has to be flawless to be an elite consistent field goal kicker.Most field goals are taken within 45 yards so leg strength really doesn’t play a factor, its all about the technique and whether you can be automatic from that range.

HSN: How do you feel when the game is on the line and all that stands between a win and a loss is your kick? Do you embrace the situation?

Matt Goudis: Yes, some people are scared of it but that’s what excites me the most to be able to win the game, nothing feels better.

HSN: Have you had any game winners?

Matt Goudis: I’ve had two. My freshman year I was playing varsity. We were playing the defending state champs and i hit a 37 yard game winner at age 14.

(Francisco Garcia on the interview)

Hurricane Sports Nation

By: Kyle Blank – www.Hurricanesportsnation.com

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Former Cane commit Nick Menocal out of Belen Jesuit verballed to Miami early in the recruiting process. Coach Shannon was the main reason he came to Miami. He was coming to the University of Miami with the idea that he would be playing linebacker.

Coach Golden had other ideas, Golden gave Menocal the opportunity to play offense because Nick didn’t fit the mold for the new Mark D’onofrio defense.

Menocal always had aspirations of playing on the defensive side of the ball, so when he got the news from Coach Golden about the switch he decided that he would be a better fit playing for Paul Johnson’s defense at Georgia Tech.

Hurricane Sports Nation

By: Kyle Blank – www.Hurricanesportsnation.com

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Denzel Perryman, linebacker out of Coral Gables Senior High committed to the Canes over the weekend. Perryman has all the measurables to make an impact at the next level, and he has been playing Varsity ball since his freshman year for the Cavaliers.

HSN got a chance to catch up with Perryman over the weekend to get his thoughts on becoming the newest member of the hurricane family.

HSN: Conratulations on your commitment Denzel. How does it feel to be a cane?

Denzel Perryman: Thanks, Its something that I’ve always dreamed about. The time finally came and I made my decision to be at the University of Miami.

HSN: What took you so long to make your commitment to the Hurricanes?

Denzel Perryman: Well, when Randy Shannon was let go I started getting nervous. I didn’t know who the new head coach would be and I started looking around at other schools. Once I got to know the new staff, and I knew that coach Golden was going to keep Michael Barrow on board I knew everything was right again.

HSN: Were there any other schools you were considering? If so what was the difference between those schools and Miami?

Denzel Perryman: The only other school I was looking at was the University of Florida. Honestly it was a very hard decision. The University of Florida has a lot of tradition and there coaches were great, but the one thing that stood out about Miami was the family atmosphere.

HSN: Talk about your relationship with Miami’s assistant coach Michael Barrow. How long have you known him?

Denzel Perryman: I’ve known coach Barrow since my freshmen year. He calls me all the time and we just have a great relationship.

HSN: Do you see yourself more as an inside
linebacker or an outside linebacker?

Denzel Perryman: Miami recruited me as an inside linebacker so thats where I plan to play when I get there.

HSN: We’ve heard you have a good relationship with Jonathan Vilma the former cane and now NFL pro bowl linebacker. What can you say about him? Did he try to push you towards Miami?

Denzel Perryman: Jonathan Vilma is great. He and I talk everyday. He didn’t really push me to do anything. He just told me to take my time and to do what was best for me.

HSN:You’ve been playing Varsity for quite a while at Coral Gables. Who have been some of the best players you’ve went up against?

Denzel Perryman: I’ve played versus a lot of good players. My freshman year I went up against Jacory Harris and that whole Miami Northwestern National Championship team.

HSN: What are your true measurements right now height/weight and what is your 40 time bench and squat numbers?

Denzel Perryman: I’m between 5’11 and 6’0 I weigh 215 pounds. My bench max is 315 my squat is 505 and my 40 time is somewhere between 4.5 and 4.6.

HSN: Current Miami commit Thomas Finnie has enrolled early and he said he wants to wear #2 your old high school number. If that’s the case what number would you like to wear?

Denzel Perryman: Awww, I really wanted to wear #2, but if I can’t I’d like to wear # 52 or # 51 like Jonathan Vilma wore.

HSN: Talk about Coach Golden what are your impressions of him?

Denzel Perryman: I think coach Golden is a great guy. he is down to earth. I think he is going to turn the program around and I want to be a part of that.

Hurricane Sports Nation

By: Kyle Blank - www.hurricanesportsnation.com

Byron Moore committed to Miami this weekend during his visit choosing the Canes over Tennessee.

The 6-1 200 pounder with 4.5 speed is a junior college cornerback/safety from Los Angeles Harbor college in Wilimington California. Moore finished the season as the Central West Conference Defensive Player of the year while recording forty tackles and nine interceptions.

The talented safety Moore listed over 20 scholarships offers including Miami, and he will be a redshirt sophomore. Originally Moore committed to the USC Trojans, but then later transferred to a junior college due to the NCAA sanctions that USC would be facing.Coming out of high school, Moore was a four star recruit and played in the US Army All American game.

Moore can cover, tackle and is a ball hawk, adding Moore to our secondary next year will cause nightmares for opposing receivers. That’s how good this kid is.

Here is Moore’s Junior college highlights:

Hurricane Sports Nation

By: Kyle Blank-www.Hurricanesportsnation.com

Antonio Kinard out of Hargrave Military School will play linebacker for the hurricanes next season. Kinard an original Michigan commitment decided to switch when Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez left the program.

Kinard is 6″4 210, but he will need to pack on some more weight when he gets to campus. Kinard ran track, and has clocked a 4.6 in the 40 yard dash. Antonio says he will play strongside linebacker at Miami.

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Hurricane Sports Nation

By: Kyle Blank-www.Hurricanesportsnation.com

Dallas Crawford out of South Fort Myers committed to Miami after an in home visit with Coach Golden this morning. Crawford is another lifelong cane’s fan that originally committed to Michigan, because the old Miami regime did not give him an offer.

Crawford has 9 interceptions this past season at the cornerback position, and he also put up some very impressive numbers while playing quarterback as well at South Fort Myers.

Look for Crawford to compete for one of the cornerback spots opposite of Brandon McGee this fall. Crawford makes. The 5″10 185 pound Crawford makes 12 commitments for the 2011 Miami Signing Class.

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Hurricane Sports Nation

By: Kyle Blank

Hurricane Sports Nation.com

2007 Super Prep, Under Armour All-American Blake Ayles will be transferring from USC to Miami for the 2011 football season. Ayles signed with the Trojans in 2007, and never really got his chance to shine while he was in Southern California.

Ayles the 6’5 245 pound tightend from Orange, California was recruited in 2007 by current Miami recruiting coordinator Brennon Carroll. Carroll and Ayles always had a good relationship, so Ayles decided he wanted to finish his career in the orange and green. Ayles will be a redshirt senior next year, and he will have 1 season of eligibility. Ayles will be able to play immediately next season. He will not have to sit out a season as most transfers usually do, because the sanctions that were placed on USC allow for their players to leave the program without having to sit out.

Ayles will provide much needed depth for the hurricanes who are paper thing at the tight end position. Miami has multiple tightends, but only Chase Ford and Asante Cleveland have game experience. Ayle’s frame and hands could be an asset to the hurricanes next year.

Hurricane Sports Nation

Recruiting has really picked up recently, as Head Coach Al Golden looks to start a new era at the “U”. Several players who were never recruited under Randy Shannon’s regime are now back in the picture for the canes.

Over the next few weeks HSN will try to give you a better look at some of the new targets Miami has on their wish list, including a number of out of state kids and quarterback prospects.

Here are a number of possible visits set up in January. All of these are not offical, but we will try to get you as much information on these players as possible. Remember to keep in mind that originally Miami was going to sign no more than 15-17 kids now that number has easily jumped into the 20′s.

January 8
OT: Taylor Gadbois
LB: Nick Menocal
WR: Devin Lucien
DB: Cortez Davis
RB: Marlin Lane

January 14
CB: Dallas Crawford
WR: Devin Lucien
DT: John Jenkins
QB: Jacoby Brissett

January 21
CB: Rashad Wadood
CB: Byron Moore
S/WR: Marqise Lee
WR: George Farmer
WR: Kelvin Benjamin
WR: Patrick Onwuasor
DT: Marquis Wright
DT: David Moala
DT: Lonnie Gosha
DE: Anthony Chickillo
DE: Jason Gibson
DE: Greg Townsend Jr.
TE/DE: Bryant Dubose
TE: Andrew Peterson
LB: Denzel Perryman
P: Dalton Botts
OT: Antonio Richardson

January 28
CB: Dominique Terrell
WR: Phillip Dorsett
LB: Antonio Poole
DE: Ricardo Williams
DT: Antwaun Woods

Kyle Blank – Owner

http://hurricanesportsnation.com/

Hurricane Sports Nation