Forest Hill receiver Shaborn Marshall catches attention of Division I Bowling Green

Saturday, January 12, 2013
by Steve Dorsey

College football coaches annually flock to Palm Beach County searching for prospects to sign with their programs. Most tend to bypass Forest Hill High during their recruiting trips.

Forest Hill has been mired in mediocrity for several years. Winless or 1-9 seasons have been the norm at the West Palm Beach school for most of the past two decades.

The Falcons were 1-9 this past season, but the play of wide receiver Shaborn Marshall has caught the attention of Bowling Green of the Mid-American Conference.

"Not a lot of recruiters come our games. To be honest, it does bother me, but you accept it," Marshall said this past week following a practice for Saturday night's Palm Beach County-Treasure Coast All-Star Game at John I. Leonard.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Marshall was a major playmaker for the Falcons each of the past two seasons. He snagged 97 catches for almost 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns the last two years combined. He easily could have looked to transfer to a more recognizable football program, but Marshall said he preferred to stay at Forest Hill.

"I didn't want to go anywhere else," Marshall said. "I knew that hard work would get me where I want to go."

A few years ago, another receiver from Palm Beach County also went mostly unrecognized but ended up at Mount Union, which he led to two Division III national titles. His name is Pierre Garcon, a John I. Leonard grad who now is a standout wide receiver for the Washington Redskins. That is the path that Marshall hopes he can follow despite not garnering any offers from major D-I programs.

Pope John Paul II coach Matt Dillon, the coach of the National All-Stars team for Saturday night's game, said he can see Marshall excelling at the college level.

"He's quick, he can run and he has good hands," Dillon said. "He's athletic ... and he can get open and he catches the ball with his hands, not his body, which is what college coaches want to see."

Marshall said he is leaning toward signing with Bowling Green next month.

"Bowling Green saw my tape and said they wanted to offer me," Marshall said.

American All-Stars prevail: A 50-yard punt return for a TD by Diego Sama (Olympic Heights) with 37 seconds remaining pulled the National team within a point, but the squad failed on a two-point conversion try and the American team won 14-13 in Saturday night's game. Marshall suited up for the National team but didn't play because of a stomach virus.

Quarterback D.J. Juste of Port St. Lucie was selected MVP for the American team. Village Academy quarterback Larry Brihm was named MVP for the National squad.

J.J. Stevens of Fort Pierce Central and Jermaine Carn of Palm Beach Gardens scored rushing touchdowns for the American team. The National team's other TD came on a 12-yard pass from Brihm to Ray Wilson of Palm Beach Central.