Despite having to forfeit five games due to an ineligible player, Miami Central High School has made the Division 6A playoffs. Miami Central went undefeated before the forfeits, going 10-0 behind outstanding play from a number of players, with the most notable (at least for Virginia Tech fans) being quarterback Courtney Denson.

Denson is not tremendously big for a quarterback, as he is 6-1 and weighs 180 pounds. He is extremely fast, running around a 4.5 in the 40 yard dash, and has a cannon for an arm - Denson can throw the football 65 yards in the air.

The senior quarterback has displayed his athletic ability and skill this season, throwing for 1,789 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushing for around 450 yards and five touchdowns. Overall, Denson is proud of his senior season.

"I think I did great [during the regular season]," said Denson.

While Denson is a burner who can break the big run, he is a passer first. He finished first in Dade County in passing during the regular season, an accomplishment he has wanted since the end of his junior year.

"This year I finished first in passing [in the county]," said Denson. "Last year I finished second, so this is big for me. I learned how to read defenses better this year.

"I want to throw first. I�m an athletic quarterback, so I�m more comfortable outside of the pocket. I like to throw on the run."

Following his senior year in high school, Denson plans on taking his skills to Blacksburg. He committed to Virginia Tech in June of 2002. Considered a soft commitment at the time, Denson remains committed to the Hokies and has followed the team all season long.

"I have watched every game that has been on TV this year," said Denson, who has earned around 28 scholarship offers, according to Central Head Coach Tony Saunders. "I�m still committed to Virginia Tech. I mean, I still haven�t made up my mind if I�m going to take other visits�I might take some visits to make sure.

"But I�m committed to Virginia Tech."

Virginia Tech is the only school recruiting Courtney as a quarterback, which is one of the main reasons he committed, according to Saunders. He has already qualified for freshman eligibility. For the time being, however, Denson is looking forward to continuing his excellent play in the playoffs.

His team takes on outstanding linebacker prospect HB Blades and Plantation High School in the first round this week. As most great quarterbacks are, Denson is eager to play great in the big games.

"I�m ready for the playoffs," said Denson.

Courtney Denson is ranked as one of the top prospects in the country. He is ranked as the 13^th best athlete in the country by Rivals.com and the 31^st best quarterback in the country by Insiders.com.

Bill Foran, a 6-2, 205-pound quarterback from Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas, had some big shoes to fill this season. Having never played a full season as a starting quarterback, Foran was called upon to replace Alexander Webb, who graduated and earned a football scholarship to Northwestern University.

No starting experience, no problem. Foran burst onto the high school football scene this season, completing 94 of 138 passes for 1,489 yards, 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions in only nine games. An excellent athlete who has been timed at 4.49 in the 40, Foran has also rushed 103 times for 931 yards and 19 touchdowns. He has even caught one pass this year that went for a 73-yard touchdown.

To say the least, Foran has not had a tough time adjusting to the starting quarterback position and a bigger role in the Highland Park offense. For him it was easy, as he just built upon what he learned as a junior.

"It hasn�t been difficult," said Foran of becoming the starting quarterback. "I learned how to play in the system as a junior. I played some quarterback."

A big boost for Foran came before the season began, when he was voted one of the team�s captains. His teammates saw something special in him, and It didn�t take Foran long to prove his teammates right.

"He�s a captain, and he was elected by his teammates for his leadership ability," said Highland Park Head Coach Randy Allen. "He plays his best when the game is on the line. In the third game of the season, he had 447 yards in total offense. He caught a touchdown pass for 73 yards and the rest of it was split evenly between rushing and passing."

Unfortunately for Highland Park, Foran may not get a chance to shine in the pressure of the first round of the playoffs, which will take place Saturday, November 16, versus Sulphur Springs. He suffered a high ankle sprain that kept him out of the season finale. Foran hopes to play, but things are very questionable at the moment.

"I love [pressure situations]," said Foran. "I would like to play Saturday, but I have a high ankle sprain. I probably will suit up, but I probably won�t start. I don�t know what I will be able to do. It�s really a coach�s decision.

"I do [have confidence in my backup quarterback to win the game, however.]"

Foran�s outstanding regular season play has earned him scholarship offers from Southern Methodist, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Purdue, and Illinois. He is also drawing heavy interest from Virginia, among others. Most of the schools are recruiting him as a quarterback. Foran doesn't have a clear leader, and so far, he has scheduled two official visits: Purdue (which he took on Nov. 8th) and Virginia Tech (scheduled for Jan. 17th).

Currently, he plays in a no-huddle, shotgun offense, however Foran isn�t necessarily going to look only at schools that run a similar offense. He�s looking for more than that.

"Not completely," said Foran when asked if he's looking for a similar offense in college. "I just want to play in a system that�s fun. It really doesn�t matter. I�m also looking for good academics and good people."

If Foran wasn�t a great football player, he might be able to earn a scholarship on academics alone. According to Coach Allen, Foran earned a 1,500 on his SAT�s and is a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist. He is also considering several Ivy League schools.

TSLX Home