By Ron White
MaxPreps.com
Marlin Lane Jr. was just a wide-eyed eighth-grader when the buzz began. He ran back a kickoff for a touchdown in his first game for DeLand Lighthouse Christian and went on to post back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons for the school’s fledgling football program.
This fall, Lane’s stock is expected to rise rapidly after he transferred to Daytona Beach Mainland, where the sophomore is already playing a key role for John Maronto’s talent-packed team.
“It was tough leaving Lighthouse. But Mainland is a great school, and I know how strong the football program is,” Lane told the Daytona Beach News-Journal in August.
Lane started his first year at Mainland last Friday with 12 carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns in a key road game against Central Gwinnett in a game played in Suwannee, Ga. The cross-state game was the biggest stage yet for Lane, who used to play his home games at whichever local field was available on a given weekend.
Mainland, which finished 8-4 in 2007, is one of the strongest teams in Central Florida this season, and Lane, who broke loose for 57-yard and 19-yard scores, is a big part of the hype. But he’s not all of it. Starting quarterback Greg Ross added his own impressive season debut. Ross, starting under center for the second season, showed better command of the offense. He was 10 of 16 for 149 yards and two touchdown passes.
Mainland, though, is without one star. Linebacker Phillip Bailey, a key part of the team’s success in 2007, transferred to Port Orange Spruce Creek, where the senior hopes to improve his academics while helping to bolster the Hawks’ defense.
If there’s another team vying for supremacy in Central Florida, it’s surely Apopka. The Blue Darters, a perennial powerhouse in Orange County, scored a big preseason win Friday behind a strong game from another powerhouse running back.
Senior Jeremy Gallon scored three touchdowns and finished with 304 yards on 21 carries against Daytona Beach Seabreeze in a 39-0 win. Gallon, who splits time between running back and quarterback, scored twice on long runs.
Yet another talented Central Florida running back kicked off the season in grand style last week. DeLand senior Michael Gillislee displayed why he’s already given a verbal commitment to the Florida Gators. After enduring a difficult losing season in 2007, the Bulldogs and their new wing-T offense popped Leesburg for a 28-7 win in a preseason tilt at Leesburg High.
Gillislee, known for his ability to beat defenders to the corner for long runs, rushed 13 times for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns. DeLand coach Kevin Pettis looks to have the size up front to boost Gillislee’s prominence this season, and other Division I schools might start expressing interest in Gillslee. While he’s given Florida a verbal commitment, one must wonder how he’ll fit into a program that already features sophomore Chris Rainey (a Lakeland product) and freshman Jeff Demps, who played his prep ball at South Lake. Both Rainey and Demps are seeing carries for the Gators this fall.
Certainly, there are several teams vying for the top spot in Central Florida. Orlando Edgewater, however, doesn’t appear ready to relinquish its reign as Central Florida’s premier Class 6A team. The Eagles started the season with a 37-7 win Friday against Olympia to answer those who aren’t sure Edgewater has the tools to win its district.
Edgewater, which regularly goes deep into the state playoffs, lost several stars, including 6-foot-5 offensive lineman Michael Brewster, now playing at Ohio State, to graduation last spring. But there appear to be some athletes ready to fill the holes.
Filling holes will be a primary goal this season for those who face Clermont East Ridge. Senior running back Jeremy Wright carried 11 times for 227 yards last week to lead the team to a 20-14 win at South Lake. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Wright ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2007 and is garnering lots of interest from college recruiters.
Lastly, Lake Wales poured on the points at Avon Park last Friday. The Highlanders preseason opener was highlighted by a big night for senior Javarious Riley, who scored three times, including twice through the air.