Seminole Ridge LB Rayfield Dixon commits to Minnesota, and Hawks could send third player to BCS school

Friday, January 18, 2013
by Jeff Greer

Seminole Ridge may not have a permanent head football coach in place, but the Hawks could be on the brink of one of their biggest weekends yet.

Star linebacker Rayfield Dixon became the second Ridge senior to verbally commit to a BCS program, pledging Friday to play for Minnesota. If all goes well during this weekend's visit to Boston College, running back Silas Spearman could be the Hawks' third BCS commitment.

It's a big deal in Loxahatchee.

Before the Class of 2013, Seminole Ridge had never produced a BCS signee. Yet while defensive tackle Kyle Shortridge, who committed to Louisville, always appeared to be a surefire BCS prospect, Ridge's breakthrough weekend almost didn't happen.

Bowling Green, a Mid-American Conference program, made a late push for Dixon, with coaches visiting Ridge nearly every day of the new year. They hoped Dixon's recent campus visit, paired with endorsements from Bowling Green-bound teammates Omar Pierre-Louis and Jason Shepherd, could pry him away from Minnesota.

None of it swayed Dixon, who compiled 89 tackles (16 for loss) and six sacks for Seminole Ridge and also considered a scholarship offer from West Virginia.

Now the focus at Seminole Ridge turns to Spearman, who expects BC to offer him a scholarship once he meets with head coach Steve Addazio.

Don Brown, BC's defensive coordinator, started recruiting Spearman when he was still Connecticut's defensive coordinator in December and has been the only BCS-level coach pursuing Ridge's speedy back.

Pahokee grad commits: Former Pahokee basketball star Nate Willis tried his luck at football at Arizona Western Community College, and it has paid off. The JUCO sophomore cornerback verbally committed Wednesday to play for Kentucky.