Former Everglades head football coach Mike Palmieri had just finished his second trip back to Florida last week with his second year Mallard Creek (near Charlotte) team from North Carolina.
The 10-hour ride the first week was to give his skilled players, such as quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, defensive backs and linebackers a chance to mix it up with Florida athletes.
Last weekend, Palmieri and some 24 linemen headed back to Florida for that same 10-hour car ride to give his linemen a chance to compete against some of the best athletes in the country - Florida kids!
Palmieri, who also coached at McArthur and played football and baseball at South Broward, is not too proud to return back to a state that got him ready to play and coach at a high level. His team last year, in just the second season of varsity football, finished the regular season 10-0.
“I know all about Florida players and I know that if my kids continue to get better, it will be because of the summer experience here in Florida,” Palmieri said. “We have built this program quickly because we are not afraid to compete.”
The Down & Dirty Linemen Camp at Stetson University in Deland is a place that Palmieri brought his Everglades players to years ago, building the Gators into an outstanding program in a short period of time.
The success of a camp such as Down & Dirty has trickled down to Josh Shapiro and Everglades, which continues a tradition that Palmieri started years ago. Shapiro’s team was among the best in Broward last year, and this year he brought 16 players to go against some of the best in the state, and in the Southeast.
The Gators attended the second session of the camp along with Hollywood Hills, a few young players from St. Thomas Aquinas and Piper standout defensive tackle Jeremy Esperant.
The first session saw Boyd Anderson seniors Anthony May (6-0, 260) and Sebastian Spencer (5-10, 250), junior Sebastian Tuff (6-2, 300), and sophomore Kamerin Davis (6-4, 270) attend the event with Coral Springs Charter standout senior Daniel Vera, a 6-3, 280-pounder.
“You come to an event like this and it’s an automatic edge on your competition,” said Shapiro. “We bring six seniors up here, but also expose eight juniors and two sophomores to some of the most athletic linemen they will go against all year. It’s something that benefits these young men as well as the team.”
Hollywood Hills has been coming to the camp longer than any other Broward school. The Spartans have sent linemen in each of the past 10 years, and this year’s crop was certainly impressive.
 |
Jared Maldonado |
Junior Jared Maldonado (6-3, 280) was at the camp for the second straight year. Last year, he worked with the younger players, but this year, he was paired with the athletes who are being looked at by several colleges.
“This camp has done nothing but help me,” said Maldanado. “To me, there is no substitution for working hard and gaining an edge on the competition.”
LOCAL COACHES WORK
Everglades assistant coaches Christ Vagotis and Edward Mapps worked the event along with former Hallandale and Everglades assistant Mike Conrad.
Former University of Miami running backs coach Don Soldinger, who now works at the All-Star Sports Academy in nearby Paisley, came out to watch one of the sessions. Soldinger is viewed as one of the top teaching coaches around.
You can reach Larry Blustein via e-mail at FloridaKids1@hotmail.com. He can also be heard every Thursday night (9-10) on the Miami Dolphins High School Gridiron Report on WQAM (560 AM). |
