February 23, 2012

Baseball: Forest Hill, Suncoast scrimmage earns minor FHSAA penalties

A preseason scrimmage has Forest Hill and Suncoast’s baseball teams in trouble with the FHSAA.

According to official documents released by the FHSAA, the teams played each other in an informal scrimmage in West Palm Beach in January. That violates Policy 18.4, which says schools may only hold intra-squad scrimmages during the preseason.

Forest Hill coach Russ Milliken and Suncoast coach B.J. Gilbert declined to comment.

Both schools self-reported the violation. Both schools were fined $250, placed on two-year probation and banned from participating in preseason classics for the 2012-13 school year.

Girls basketball: regional semifinals preview

Eight area teams are left traveling the road to Lakeland. Here’s a preview of Tuesday’s regional semifinals:

All games are at 7 p.m. Admission is $7.

Class 8A
Dwyer (23-4) at Palm Beach Central (20-5)

Both teams have been ranked in the top five all season — Dwyer has been No. 1 from wire to wire — and there’s been no shortage of excitement when the teams meet … Dwyer beat Central by five points in December, but Central led after the second and third quarters. Dwyer topped Central by 10 points on Jan. 18, but Central was missing a key player, senior post Lexus Love. Central beat Dwyer in overtime in the District 9-8A final … Dwyer cruised against Boca in the last round, while Palm Beach Central dominated Park Vista from start to finish. Now they’ll settle this once and for all … Dwyer is ranked No. 10 in Florida by MaxPreps. Palm Beach Central is ranked 21st … Winner plays Parkland-Douglas/Pembroke Pines-West Broward winner at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Class 7A
Palm Beach Lakes (13-10) at Santaluces (22-4)

Lakes beat Santaluces by two points in December, holding on despite missing leading scorer Shanovia Dove, who fouled out with 4:59 left … Santaluces gave Lakes fits in the teams’ January meeting, winning by 21 points on the road … Santaluces beat Lakes for the District 13-7A title thanks to Miriam Pierre’s 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Dove had 32 points for Lakes … Palm Beach Lakes is ranked No. 86 in Florida by MaxPreps. Santaluces is ranked 42nd … Winner plays Hollywood-South Broward/Davie-Nova winner at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Class 4A
Lincoln Park Academy (23-2) at Fort Myers-Dunbar (25-1)

Teams have not met this season … Lincoln Park finished the season at No. 2 in the Post’s top 10 … Lincoln Park and Dunbar each have scored 53 points or more in all but one of their games … Lincoln Park is ranked No. 23 in Florida by MaxPreps. Dunbar is ranked 36th … Winner plays Tampa Catholic/Tampa-Holy Names winner at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Class 3A
Jupiter Christian (16-4) at Naples-Community (18-6)

Teams have not met this season … Improbable run for Jupiter christian, which almost folded its program before the season due to lack of player turnout. The Eagles were forced to cancel their middle school and junior varsity programs … Jupiter Christian’s lone senior, Stephanie Kumler, is the Eagles’ heart and soul. She averaged 14.9 points per game during the regular season from the post … Community is ranked No. 46 in Florida by MaxPreps. Jupiter Christian is 154th … Winner plays the St. Petersburg Catholic/Largo-Indian Rocks Christian winner at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Class 2A
Lake Worth Christian (14-13) at Grandview Prep (21-4)

Rematch of the District 12-2A final, which Grandview won 69-12. Grandview beat Lake Worth Christian 74-13 in January … Lake Worth Christian beat Pine 33-23 in the regional quarterfinals … Lake Worth Christian is ranked No. 450 in Florida by MaxPreps. Grandview Prep is 73rd. Winner plays Sarasota Christian/Naples-First Baptist winner at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Baseball: More on the new bats, and more on the new season

As noted in our season preview, high schools this season will swing BBCOR bats, the standard adopted by colleges last season. The bats are less powerful than the bats used in recent years. The goal is to make them perform like wood.

It’s the latest step in baseball’s tango with bat technology. Since aluminum bats were introduced to amateur baseball in 1974, the keepers of the game have had to tweak the rules to keep things safe.

Dwyer's Jamal Martin, a Forest Hill transfer, is one of the reasons why Dwyer is among the top teams in the area. (Bruce Bennett/The Palm Beach Post)

Dwyer's Jamal Martin, a Forest Hill transfer, is one of the reasons why Dwyer is among the top teams in the area. (Bruce Bennett/The Palm Beach Post)

In 1986, the minus-5 rule was enacted, meaning the difference of a bat’s weight (in ounces) and the length of the bat (inches) could be no more than 5. That meant a 34-inch, 29-ounce bat was legal.

Dwyer coach Frank Torre told one story about his college days. He preferred the extra heft of a minus-3 bat, but he shakes his head when he thinks of some of the sticks others were swinging.

“Those were weapons. It was totally ridiculous,” said Torre, a freshman All-American for the University of New Orleans in 1996. “We used to play LSU all the time. There were guys with 30, 35 home runs. It was crazy.”

In Torre’s junior year, 1998, LSU and several other teams played in a College World Series that was unlike any other. More than 50 offensive records were broken or tied. The final game was won by a football score: Southern Cal 21, Arizona State 14.

Following that season, the NCAA enacted several limits on bat performance, including the BESR standard that would remain in place for 10 years. Also, the NCAA reduced the size of bat barrels and set a minus-3 standard.

Midway and through the latter part of last decade, composite bats became the weapon of choice. Once the NCAA discovered new composite bats became more potent with use, they changed the standard again. They were banned in 2009 until the NCAA could conduct proper performance research.

In 2011, the NCAA introduced the BBCOR standard, which states that speed and conditions being equal, a baseball must jump off a non-wood bat the same as it would a wood bat. The National Federation of High Schools adopted the BBCOR standard this year.

Click here to read more about the BBCOR bats in a Post story from last March.

Expect fewer home runs and more small-ball, but don’t expect the season to be any less exciting. Couple thoughts that couldn’t fit into the preview:

– A preseason top 10 for any sport is little more than an educated guess. I feel the 10 teams I ranked are the 10 best teams in the area, but there are several that could have been in there. I’m not sure Jupiter will do better than Dwyer this year, or that Park Vista isn’t a better team than both of them. Trinity Christian intrigues me, too. I like Jupiter’s overall depth and pitching the most, which is why they’re No. 1. For now.

Here’s the top 10, in case you didn’t see the preview:

1. Jupiter
2. Dwyer
3. Park Vista
4. Palm Beach Central
5. Trinity Christian
6. American Heritage
7. West Boca Raton
8. Wellington
9. Martin County
10. Palm Beach Gardens

I think Santaluces, Summit Christian, Atlantic, Seminole Ridge and Royal Palm Beach have chances to be ranked in the coming weeks.

– In my season preview survey that I sent to coaches, I asked them to give me a team they think could surprise. Many self-identified as underdogs and said “us.” I did see John I. Leonard and Lake Worth on a few ballots. Pope John Paul II made a few more. Benjamin was another, along with Jupiter Christian. If you’re asking me whom I think could surprise, I’d say Boca Raton. Big first baseman/lefty Mike Tallet, Los Angeles Angels draftee Dominic Jose and catcher J.C. Coban are gone, but I like the Bobcats to make some noise in District 10-8A under new coach Jeff Rosa.

– I’ll be at the Santaluces (D-1 Sporting Goods) Slam tonight, checking out American Heritage vs. Jupiter (and keeping an eye on the rest of the teams there). If you get a moment, the Slam is worth your time. You can see four teams in our preseason top 10: No. 1 Jupiter, No. 4 Palm Beach Central, No. 5 Trinity Christian and No. 6 American Heritage. Defending Class 1A state champ Summit Christian, Atlantic, Suncoast and Santaluces are also competing.

Elsewhere, the Forest Hill City Tournament should be good. Cardinal Newman, Lake Worth, Forest Hill and Seminole Ridge are all capable squads.

– Three games to watch this week:
Tonight at Santaluces: Jupiter vs American Heritage, or Trinity Christian vs Summit Christian. Both games at 6:30 p.m. … Wednesday, Palm Beach Gardens at Park Vista, 7 p.m.

– Rewind: If you’re just diving into baseball season, click the links below to see some highlights from last year.

Final stats for 2011 regular season

Last year’s playoff preview, predictions

2011 large schools all-area team

2011 small schools all-area team

Full list of area players drafted in June 2011 MLB Draft

All-time MLB draftees from Post coverage area

Video highlights and more from the 2011 Dick Howser All-Star Game at Roger Dean Stadium

From October: Early thoughts on the 2012 season

Former Palm Beach Gardens coach Chris Davis takes job in Georgia

Chris Davis is headed north, but not too far north.

Davis, 37, who stepped down after three seasons as Palm Beach Gardens coach, was hired to coach Cedar Shoals, a Class AAAA program in Athens, Ga.

Davis’ hire was contingent on the Clarke County (Ga.) Board of Education approving him as a physical education teacher. Once that happened Thursday, Cedar Shoals’ principal offered him the job.

The Jaguars went 5-5 last year and missed the playoffs.

No word yet on a new coach for Gardens, which went 9-3-1 and lost to Miramar in the Class 8A regional finals.

American Heritage RB Greg Bryant: a once-in-a-decade prospect?

American Heritage running back Greg Bryant is the top-rated prospect in Palm Beach County for next season. According to Rivals.com’s database, he could be the area’s best in more than 10 years.

Greg Bryant's monster performance in the Class 3A state title game no doubt helped him move up Rivals' rankings. (Orlando Sentinel)

Greg Bryant's monster performance in the Class 3A state title game no doubt helped him move up Rivals' rankings. (Orlando Sentinel)

Bryant (5-11, 205) is the No. 23 player on Rivals’ national rankings for the class of 2013. That is the highest number the scouting service has given an area player since it began ranking prospects in 2002.

But Bryant has a long way to go to earn that distinction. These are Rivals’ preseason rankings, so there’s no guarantee Bryant will maintain his rank.

Right now, he comes in two spots ahead of Dwyer’s Matt Elam and Pahokee’s Antone Smith, who finished their senior seasons at No. 25.

Both Elam and Smith were five-star recruits, as was Suncoast’s Devin Hester, the 28th-ranked player in 2002. Bryant was given four stars.

Take a spin back through a decade of Rivals rankings below. For those who have watched Bryant play: where do you think he ranks among the local players of the last decade?

Palm Beach County’s highest-rated prospects

Since 2002, according to Rivals.com. Note: end-of-season ranking used from 2002-12. Preseason ranking used for 2013.
Rank – Name – Pos. – School – No. of stars

2002
28 – Devin Hester, DB, Suncoast (5)

2003
93 – Jimmie Sutton III, ATH, Boca Raton (4)

2005)
25 – Antone Smith, RB, Pahokee (5)
82 – Courtney Harris, DE, Jupiter (4)

2007
49 – Deonte Thompson, WR, Glades Central (4)
*101-250 – Damien Berry, DB, Glades Central (4); Johnnie Lee Dixon, ATH, Glades Central (4); Ernest McCoy, OL, Glades Central (4).

2008
51 – Janoris Jenkins, DB, Pahokee (4)
132 – Star Jackson, QB, Lake Worth (4)
231 – Jeremy Lewis, DT, Palm Beach Lakes (4)

2009
64 – Jon Bostic, LB, Palm Beach Central (4)
68 – Nu’Keese Richardson, WR, Pahokee (4)
139 – Jayron Hosley, DB, Atlantic (4)
143 – Lonnie Pryor, RB, Okeechobee (4)
186 – Rantavious Wooten, WR, Glades Central (4)
205 – Luther Robinson, DT, Fort Pierce Westwood (4)

2010
25 – Matt Elam, DB, Dwyer (5)
42 – Jeff Luc, LB, Treasure Coast (4)
77 – Chris Dunkley, WR, Pahokee (4)
81 – Gerald Christian, TE, Dwyer (4)
203 – De’Joshua Johnson, WR, Pahokee (4)
232 – James Louis, WR, Atlantic (4)

2011
33 – Nick O’Leary, TE, Dwyer (4)
60 – Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Glades Central (4)
75 – Jacoby Brissett, QB, Dwyer (4)
139 – Giorgio Newberry, DE, Fort Pierce Central (4)
198 – Curt Maggitt, LB, Dwyer (4)
199 – Tre Mason, RB, Park Vista (4)

2012
74 – Avery Young, OL, Palm Beach Gardens (4)
108 – Jessamen Dunker, OL, Boynton Beach (4)
116 – Angelo Jean-Louis, ATH, Palm Beach Central (4)
225 – Patrick Miller, OL, Dwyer (4)

2013 (preseason rankings)
23 – Greg Bryant, RB, American Heritage (4)
79 – Will Likely, DB, Glades Central (4)
85 – Jaynard Bostwick, DT, Centennial (4)
111 – Kelvin Taylor, RB, Glades Day (4)

* In 2007, Rivals first listed the top 250 players, but did not rank in order the players after No. 100 until 2008.

Rivals ranks Kelvin Taylor No. 111 prospect in the nationwide class of 2013

Kelvin Taylor didn’t make Rivals.com’s list of the top 100 prospects for next season. He’s not far outside the top 100, though.

Record-setter Kelvin Taylor is the 11th-best running back in the nation for next year's class, according to one major recruiting service. (Allen Eyestone/The Palm Beach Post)

Record-setter Kelvin Taylor is the 11th-best running back in the nation for next year's class, according to one major recruiting service. (Allen Eyestone/The Palm Beach Post)

Taylor checked in at No. 111 on the list, making him the 11th-ranked running back in the nation and the 19th-ranked prospect in Florida.

Taylor broke Emmitt Smith’s state rushing record last year as a junior and rushed for 2,884 yards and 40 touchdowns on 292 carries. He’s on track to carry the ball for either Alabama or Florida. Despite that, he is the third-ranked running back in the state, behind American Heritage’s Greg Bryant and St. Petersburg Catholic’s Ryan Green.

Glades Day coach Pete Walker said “it’s kind of a joke” that Taylor isn’t in the top 100. “In my opinion, he’s a top 10 guy,” Walker said, adding that he has watched film on several running backs ranked ahead of Taylor.

“Like I told Kelvin, whether he comes out ranked No. 1 or No. 300, that’s not going to change what he does, and the opportunities he’s going to have,” Walker said.

Bryant (No. 23 overall) was one of three area players to make Rivals’ top 100. Glades Central’s Will Likely (No. 79) and Centennial’s Jaynard Bostwick (No. 85) are the others. Read more about them here.

Football: Palm Beach Gardens head coach Chris Davis resigns

After Palm Beach Gardens’ most successful season since it won the state title in 2005, head football coach Chris Davis stepped down.

In Chris Davis' final season, Gardens went to the regional finals. (Allen Eyestone/The Palm Beach Post)

In Chris Davis' final season, Gardens went to the regional finals. (Allen Eyestone/The Palm Beach Post)

Davis, who went 18-13-1 at Gardens, informed players and the school’s administration of his decision on Wednesday.

Thanks to a fast-paced offense featuring lineman Avery Young (Auburn) and running back Roshard Burney (West Virginia), the Gators went 9-3-1 and lost to then-unbeaten Miramar in the Class 8A regional finals.

“I think we had a great cycle of kids who worked hard to get us back to where Gardens needed to be,” said Davis, 37. “I’m very proud of them. I’m not a father yet, but I’m really grateful to them because they taught me how to be a dad. I love them to death. This was one of the hardest things I had to do, to tell them this.”

Davis said he had accepted a coaching job at an out-of-area school, but could not yet give details.

Davis played quarterback at Clewiston and was an assistant at Lakeland, Glades Central and Fort Meade before taking over at Gardens in 2009.

Gardens sophomore quarterback J.P. Caruso, who had a breakout year last season under Davis, said the news was “sad but life moves on.” He said team morale remains high.

“We got a lot of good things going on at Gardens,” Caruso said. “We had a team meeting. We’re going to fight through it. No one’s going to transfer. We got a goal in mind and we’re going to work hard to achieve it.”

Updated at 10:18 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012

Girls basketball: Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast regional quarterfinal preview, schedule, predictions

The 20 area teams that survived the district tournaments are moving onto regionals. Here’s what to watch for in Thursday night’s regional quarterfinals.

If Palm Beach Central (left) and Dwyer (right) win Thursday, they will play each other in the Class 8A regional semifinals. (Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post)

Palm Beach Central's Kensha'dra Smith (left) and Dwyer's Kiandra Bowers battle for the ball in Central's district final win. If Central and Dwyer win Thursday, the teams will face each other again in the Class 8A regional semifinals. (Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post)

All games are 7 p.m. Thursday. Admission is $7.

CLASS 8A

Centennial (8-6A runner-up) at Orlando-Colonial (5-8A winner)

Colonial (20-5) lost to Haines City, St. Augustine and West Orange, three teams with a combined 71-10 record. The Grenadiers knocked off Orlando-University (20-5) in its district final. Meanwhile, Centennial (10-11) scored just 24 points in a district final loss to Vero Beach Pick: Colonial

Park Vista (10-8A runner-up) at Palm Beach Central (9-8A winner)

This is the first home playoff game in Central’s eight-year history, and it has a good shot at getting its first win. The Broncos should be riding the momentum of Saturday’s OT win over Dwyer. Park Vista has a strong group of forwards, but Central should be able to push them around down low. To have a chance, Park Vista has to slow down Central’s freshman wing, Crystal Primm, who scored a game-high 26 points against Dwyer. Pick: Palm Beach Central.

Dwyer (9-8A runner-up) at Boca Raton (10-8A winner)

The set-up of the quarterfinal brackets guarantees there will be at least one Palm Beach County team in the 8A regional finals. Dwyer, despite losing to Palm Beach Central in their district final, has the best shot of advancing beyond that. If fully motivated – and they should be – the Panthers enough size and skill to get to Tampa. They must stay out of foul trouble, which hampered them against Central. Boca Raton is long and lean, but not powerful enough to slow Dwyer. The Bobcats are crafty, and if they stay aggressive, they have a shot. Pick: Dwyer

CLASS 7A

Martin County (12-7A runner-up) at Port Charlotte (11-7A winner)

Martin County (18-4) can score in bunches, but the Tigers couldn’t sustain enough momentum to overtake Sebastian River in a thrilling district final loss. Port Charlotte (15-5) has played some of the state’s toughest teams and hasn’t lost at home. Pick: Port Charlotte

Lake Worth (14-7A runner-up) at Santaluces (13-7A winner)

Lake Worth (9-15) lost both its games to Santaluces during the season, scoring 32 and 21 points. The Trojans should be encouraged by how they played in losses to Boynton Beach, Jupiter and West Boca Raton, but they don’t match up well with Santaluces (21-4), which can shoot, defend and rebound. The Chiefs haven’t lost since Dec. 21 (to Miami power Dr. Krop) and upended Park Vista and Boynton Beach down the stretch. Pick: Santaluces

Palm Beach Lakes (13-7 runner-up) at West Boca Raton (14-7A winner)

An immensely frustrating season for Lakes (12-10), which has lots of talent but can’t put things together some nights. The Rams hung with Lincoln Park, Palm Beach Central and Dwyer, but lost those games. They also lost twice to Santaluces, which may not bode well for next round. The Bulls (18-9) would seem to have a home-court advantage, but they’re just 5-4 at home (10-1 on the road, 3-4 neutral sites). They’re also 3-3 in their last six. Pick: Palm Beach Lakes

CLASS 5A

Plantation-American Heritage (16-5A runner-up) at Boynton Beach (15-5A winner)

Boynton Beach (19-6) has plenty of talent and possibly the area’s best backcourt (senior Taylor Shade and sophomore Shakoa Edwards). The Tigers love to run, but tend to wear down against bigger teams (see: losses to Santaluces, Dwyer and Palm Beach Central). They haven’t lost at home (8-0), while Plantation-Heritage hasn’t lost on the road (6-0). The Patriots (18-8) have some good wins (Palm Beach Lakes, Treasure Coast), some expected losses (0-3 against powerhouse Dillard, also lost to undefeated Archbishop McCarthy) and one surprising loss to Pompano Beach, which finished 4-14. Pick: Boynton Beach

CLASS 4A

Cardinal Newman (12-4A runner-up) at Ft. Myers-Dunbar (11-4A winner)

Newman (15-11) has beat the teams it should beat, lost to the teams it should lose to and played most teams tough. Dunbar (24-1) cracked the 80-point barrier three times – scoring 93 once – and beat Fort Myers-Gateway Charter 84-0 on Dec. 1. Pick: Dunbar

Ft. Myers-Bishop Verot (11-4A runner-up) at Lincoln Park (12-4A winner)

Aggressive Lincoln Park (22-2) can tear apart teams that don’t take care of the ball. They did that against Cardinal Newman this season, winning their district final matchup by 40 points. Verot (16-10) put up a heck of a fight against Dunbar in their district final. It won’t go away, but LPA is a legitimate state title contender. Pick: Lincoln Park

CLASS 3A

Pahokee (12-3A runner-up) at Naples-Community (11-3A winner)

Pahokee (13-7) was the three-seed in its district and upended King’s Academy by one point to get to the title game. The Blue Devils played Palm Beach Central tough, losing by three points. Community (17-6) played Lakes and Santaluces well, but lost. The Seahawks romped through their district tournament, allowing 27 points over two games. Pick: Pahokee

Naples-St. John Neumann (11-3A runner-up) at Jupiter Christian (12-3A winner)

Jupiter Christian (15-4) lost to Calvary Christian, Pahokee and King’s, and beat rival Benjamin twice. The Eagles are 4-0 at home. Hard to know what to make of Neumann (19-9), which cracked the 60-point barrier seven times but managed to score just 14 points in its district final loss. The Celtics haven’t lost on the road (8-0) this season. Pick: Jupiter Christian

Ft. Lauderdale-Calvary Christian (14-3A runner-up) at Trinity Christian (13-3A winner)

Calvary (17-5) has wins over Jupiter Christian (2), Benjamin, King’s Academy and St. Andrew’s. It battled Miramar-Parkway to the end in a district final loss. Trinity Christian lost some star power from last year’s state finalist, but have young talent that plays together nearly all year. The Warriors’ last two games have been quality wins over American Heritage and Fort Lauderdale-Pine Crest, which beat the Warriors a month ago. Pick: Trinity Christian

American Heritage (13-3A runner-up) at Miramar-Parkway (14-3A winner)

Heritage (13-8) has come along nicely after losing its coach, and several players to graduation and transfer. The Stallions are hungry for a win after losing three of their last four, twice to Trinity Christian. Parkway (21-3) beat Palm Beach Central, one of the area’s best teams, and has lost only to powerful West Orange, Chicago’s Marshall High and Plantation-American Heritage. Pick: Parkway

CLASS 2A

Lake Worth Christian (12-2A runner-up) at Pine School (11-2A winner)

Lake Worth Christian (13-13) won six in a row before a humbling 69-12 loss to Grandview Prep in their district final. The Defenders beat Pine (16-9) to start its six-game winning streak, but Pine beat Lake Worth Christian by one point in the teams’ Nov. 14 season opener. Pick: Lake Worth Christian

Vero Beach-Master’s Academy (11-2A runner-up) at Grandview Prep (12-2A winner)

Grandview (20-4) beat strong teams like West Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, Miami-Gulliver Prep and Weston-Sagemont and hung around with Dwyer. The Pride has far too much firepower for Master’s, which went 3-10. Pick: Grandview

Greg Bryant, Will Likely, Jaynard Bostwick among Rivals’ top 100 for 2013; Kelvin Taylor not

The first edition of Rivals.com’s top 100 ranking for the Class of 2013 includes three expected names and one unexpected snub.

Rivals ranks Greg Bryant as the third-best running back in the nation. (Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post)

Rivals ranks Greg Bryant as the third-best running back in the nation. (Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post)

American Heritage’s Greg Bryant (No. 23), Glades Central’s Will Likely (79) and Centennial’s Jaynard Bostwick (85) made the cut.

Glades Day’s Kelvin Taylor, who broke Emmitt Smith’s all-time state rushing record last year as a junior, did not.

Taylor, the Post’s All-Area small schools offensive player of the year, put up 2,884 yards and 40 touchdowns on 292 carries, which were some of the state’s highest totals. He has offers from numerous BCS schools, including Florida and Alabama.

“Kelvin is a great player,” said Chris Nee, Rivals’ Florida recruiting analyst. “He just missed making the 100.” Nee said Taylor would be included in the Rivals250, which will be released Thursday.

At least one area coach was surprised by Taylor’s omission. Jupiter Christian coach Bill Powers, who has been burned by Taylor multiple times since he was an eighth-grader, disagreed wholeheartedly.

“Impossible to give Rivals any credibility with Taylor not on their list of top 100 prospects in the country,” Powers posted on Twitter.

Bryant, who earned plenty of accolades after carrying American Heritage to the Class 3A state title, is the fifth-rated prospect in Florida, the top-rated running back in the state and the fourth-ranked running back in the nation.

Bryant (5-11, 205) has offers from more than 23 BCS programs, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and USC. He told reporters after the state title game he would prefer to play in the SEC.

Likely comes in at No. 14 among Florida prospects. A threat on offense, defense and special teams, he is listed as a defensive back. That puts him at No. 14 among national DBs and fifth in a strong class of Florida DBs.

Likely (5-7, 171) has offers from Alabama, Florida, Louisville, LSU, Miami and Purdue.

Bostwick, a defensive tackle who is athletic enough to play the edge, is the 16th overall prospect in Florida. He is the second-rated defensive tackle in the state and eighth in the nation.

Bostwick (6-4, 275) has offers from Cincinnati, FIU, Georgia, Miami and Notre Dame.

Bryant, Likely and Bostwick are rated four-star prospects by Rivals. It’s a good bet Taylor will be, too.

Click here to see Rivals’ full list of the top 100 national prospects for 2013. And, don’t miss the Post’s 2013 spring watch list, which includes more than 75 players we think will have an impact this fall.

Baseball: Palm Beach State signs three area high schoolers

Palm Beach State, long one of the better Division I junior college baseball programs in the nation, added three more locals to the mix.

Royal Palm Beach outfielder Christopher Barr, Seminole Ridge shortstop Marcus Mooney and American Heritage middle infielder Michael Shepard signed letters of intent to play for the Panthers after their senior seasons.

Barr, one of the faster players in the area, has “draft speed,” according to Royal Palm coach Brian Joros. He plays center fielder, but also played first base and pitched for the Wildcats last year. He hit .341 with 15 steals in 16 games last year.

As a junior, Mooney was the area’s batting leader (.493) among large schools. He will the third Mooney brother to come through Palm Beach State. Mike spent last year with the Class-A Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore) and Peter spent finished the season with the Class-A Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto). All three Mooneys are shortstops.

Shepard, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound shortstop, was an All-Area honorable mention in his junior season.

There are 20 local players on Palm Beach State’s current roster. They are:
OF Justin Bryant, Royal Palm Beach … C Ryan Church, Santaluces … P Edwin Cody, Summit Christian … P T.J. Farjad, Seminole Ridge … P Alex Greener, Jupiter … P Calvin Greener, Jupiter … INF Alex Hernandez, Palm Beach Central … INF Tim Jeffrey, Palm Beach Gardens … INF Adam Koerner, John Carroll … P Alex Koji, Santaluces … OF Matt Mulroy, West Boca Raton … OF Sean Murrell, Wellington … P Ronald Pena, John I. Leonard … P Ryan Pistey, Park Vista … P Ron Southard, Jupiter … INF Michael Tallet, Boca Raton … P James Tornabene, Palm Beach Gardens … OF Ryan Tufts, Pope John Paul II … INF J.D. Underwood, Palm Beach Gardens … P Brandon Welch, Palm Beach Gardens.