Tom Smith-One of Central Florida's top talents!
With spring football right around the corner there is one team that should be considered one of the contenders for the 6A Crown in 2010 is Apopka. Along with Dr. Phillips, Apopka returns one of the more talented teams in Central Florida. They will be led by talented senior Tom Smith. He will be one of the most sought after backs in Central Florida this season. He is a bigger back (5′10-210) who can run both between the tackles and outside. Most of his runs we will focus on will be to the outside. Along with Smith is his backfield mate Qua Barnes. The talented sophomore now looks towards his junior season where Barnes will start to draw some attention his way. Even though he is the smaller of the two backs, Barnes runs between the tackles. One of the guys leading the way for both backs is Ty Darlington. He was only a sophomore last season. He is already one of Apopka best offensive lineman.
Our first look is at Tom Smith. The talented back brings both the size and speed to the table that college coaches will like. When in the open field Smith has the ability to pull away from defenders. This is important because many of the bigger backs you see get caught from behind. That is not the case with Smith who once is in the open field may as well be gone. He also is a tough back. On one run we will look at on film Smith carries what seems to be half the defensive squad he goes against. He does a good job of running with both balance and power. He does not go down on first contact which is always important for running backs. (Video Link)
His backfield mate is Qua Barnes. While Smith runs outside the tackles for Apopka it is Barnes who does the dirty work between the tackles. What is surprising is Barnes is the smaller of the two backs. What we like about Barnes is his ability to make the big play. He can take it the distance anywhere on the field. He can help out on offense, defense or special teams. (Video Link)
Not to be outdone is Ty Darlington. The talent lineman is one of the better prospects at his position in Central Florida. Ty will draw plenty of attention over the next two years. He has good feet and is able to get to the 2nd level without much of a problem. We expect that once his senior season rolls around you will see college coaches taking notice of him.
Final Thoughts: When it comes to Apopka you know what they will bring to the table. They are a physical team that likes to run the football. With both Smith and Barnes returning they may have the most potent rushing attack in Florida this season. Both backs are likely to break over a 1,000 yards and could push for 2,000 if they get enough carries. We expect Apopka to contend for a State Title this season.
