By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
It's a nondescript plane ride from Miami to Dallas. There's several each day, dozens per month, hundreds each year.
But to members of the Northwestern-Miami (Fla.) football team, Thursday's scheduled flight might as well be a NASA rocket ship launched for Jupiter.
"Ever been to Texas?" Northwestern star linebacker Sean Spence chuckled. "No, but I've been to New Jersey once for a football camp."
Said stud defensive lineman Marcus Forston: "I don't think many of the guys have ever been outside of Miami. I doubt most have ever been on a plane."
What makes this trip worth taking is what awaits at the destination.
On Saturday, the Bulls, the defending Florida state 6A champions, take on three-time defending Texas state 5A champion Southlake Carroll at Southern Methodist University before a projected capacity crowd (32,000) and a national television audience (ESPNU).
In one of the most anticipated high school football games ever played, not only is a possible mythical national championship at stake - Carroll is ranked No. 1 in most of the national polls and Northwestern is top-ranked by ESPN.com - but so are complete and utter bragging rights for arguably the nation's top two football states.
"We definitely want to show everyone how we play football in Florida," Forston said. "Frankly though, we're just looking forward to playing some football period."
Indeed, this showdown between annual national powers almost was grounded in the summer.
That's when Northwestern's principal, head football coach and five members of his staff was dismissed for allegedly covering up a sex scandal that involved a star player on last year's team.
The principal was indicted by a grand jury in June on two counts of official misconduct for not reporting consensual but unlawful sex between the player and a 14-year-old student in a campus bathroom.
The alleged act occurred on Sept. 16, 2006 but the player continued to play including in the December state title game.
In July, Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Rudy Crew considered canceling Northwestern's 2007 season but ruled at a packed school board meeting to let the state champions play.
All players, however, were required to sign a "code of conduct" contract.
"That contract will be about your ability to carry yourself as gentlemen," Crew said at the meeting. "And should you violate the terms of the contract, you will give me the go-ahead to suspend you without question."
No such suspensions have been issued and with a new coaching staff in place including head coach Billy Rolle, the Bulls bring a 2-0 record to Texas.
They hope to leave the Lone Star State not only with an unblemished record, Spence said, but a shiny new national aura.
"We're going down there to represent Northwestern, the city of Miami and the state of Florida," Spence said. "More important, we're going down there to play with class and dignity and show the whole world that we're not who they think we are."
According to most, this is one of the most talented high school teams ever.
Period.
Ten of the Bulls have verbally committed to Division I-A programs, half of them to Miami. Those include Forston, a 6-foot-2, 286-pounder considered the top defensive tackle in the country, Spence, a speedy 6-foot, 186-pound linebacker, offensive lineman Brandon Washington (6-4, 315), dual-threat quarterback Jacory Harris (6-4, 169) and his top receiving threat Aldarius Johnson (6-2, 200).
Harris completed 69 percent of his passes last year for 2,929 yards and 37 touchdowns, 19 of them to Johnson, who had 72 catches for 1,361 yards. The team's other top receiver Tommy Streeter (55 catches, 802 yards, 13 TDs) also returns.
"There's no doubt that it's the most talented team in the country," CSTV recruiting expert Tom Lemming said. "They have players everywhere. It's pretty amazing for a high school team."
Larry Blustein said it's more than amazing. The national recruiting analyst for MSLSports.net told the Miami Herald that Northwestern's talent base is "freakish."
"Long Beach Poly (California) had about 15 guys sign a few years ago," Blustein said. "Usually teams only have about eight to 10. . But what this team has is unheard of. It's one of those things you may never see again. I think by season's end, all 22 starters could have some sort of college football offers."
That would seem to spell doom for Southlake, but not so says history and Jamie DeMoney, publisher of PrepNation.com and a recruiting analyst for Forbes Recruiting Evaluaton.
That same Poly team Blustein referred to was defeated handily in back-to-back years (2001 and 2002) by De La Salle-Concord, a team with similar traits as Carroll.
DeMoney actually has Northwestern ranked third nationally behind No. 1 St. Xavier (Cincinnati) and second-ranked Carroll.
"We're not evaluating how many kids are going to college or which team has the most potential NFL players," DeMoney said. "That's a completely different argument. It doesn't mean they are the best team."
DeMoney said he might not have hesitated ranking Northwestern No. 1 for not for the scandal and losing its coaching staff so late.
Rolle is indeed a proven winner, who led Northwestern to a state title in 1998 before leaving and helping Killian to a 6A championship in 2004.
"He's an excellent coach and I'm sure his assistants are first rate also," DeMoney said. "But they all came in so late. On July 10th Northwestern had a completely different staff. That has to be a distraction. And every hour or two Northwestern wasn't focused during that time you can bet Carroll was. Will that make a difference? Missed assignments?
"There's the travel aspect too. They won't be waking up in their own beds like Carroll players. It's a difficult environment to come into.
"With that said, Northwestern certainly doesn't lack confidence. It won't be intimidated."
That's for sure, said Spence, who helped the Bulls (15-0) record an amazing seven straight shutouts in 2006 when they outscored opponents 650-108.
He sees this as a great opportunity in all aspects.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how the other side of life lives," said Spence, who led the Bulls with 151 tackles last year. "I'm curious about their culture, how they dress all the little things. But we know what's at stake. We know when to get ready for the game. We'll be ready."
Forston, who led the team with 13 sacks last season, said his approach will be very serious.
"I'm looking at this not as business not pleasure," he said. "This is a business trip."
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
