University had a spectacular football season.
Photo by Wayne Litmer
The eighth-annual MaxPreps Football Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard headed to the Sunshine State to honor the
University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Suns!
Being from the Northeast, the Sun and 80 degree weather was welcomed as we made our way to University School in Davie, Florida. It was a beautiful sunny day without a cloud in the sky. This outstanding group of young men claimed their first Florida 3A state championship and 12-0 season. This award and honor was a huge accomplishment for a school whose football program was only established in the last decade.
The 2012 season was a dream season for the Suns. The University School Suns finished ranked No. 24 in the nation according to the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings and on Jan. 28 MaxPreps and the Florida Army National Guard descended upon the University School to honor the team at a rousing pep rally in front of the entire school. The student body, faculty and community cheered as athletic director Paul Herfurth made a quick Tour of Champions introduction.
One comment that struck a chord with us was, "I hope one day you can all come back and show your children what you have accomplished." Mr. Herfurth passed the mic over to Jason Alpert of MaxPreps. Alpert spoke about the team's amazing accomplishments, and the crowd's anticipation about receiving the Army National Guard national ranking trophy grew more and more.
After quieting the crowd down, which was a task, Alpert invited Sergeant Jason McCarthy of the Florida Army National Guard to make the presentation. SGT McCarthy spoke about the team's drive and determination to accomplish its goals of winning a state championship and then invited head coach Harriott up to the podium to receive the prestigious Army National Guard national ranking trophy. The crowd went wild! Coach Harriott thanked MaxPreps and the Army National Guard for the award. He also spoke about how proud he was to represent this community and how he hopes these young men move on to accomplish great things.
After the presentation, the local media, parents and students took pictures of the trophy and the team. When accepting the award, coach Harriott spoke about the importance of character and community, which are important traits for the Army National Guard as well, and this school certainly exemplifies both of these.
