Kelvin Taylor sets state playoff rushing record

Sophomore sensation running back Kelvin Taylor of Glades Day (Belle Glade) etched his name into the Florida state record book last Friday night when he rushed for 437 yards, which is a playoff single-game record according to Buddy Collings, researcher/publisher of the Florida High School Record Book.

Glades Day head coach Pete Walker said Monday that his official statistician had Taylor, who scored all five of the Gators' touchdowns in their 35-29 win in the Class 1B regional finals against district rival Jupiter Christian, with 445 yards on 35 carries but that he had not yet broken down game film to document an official total.

"It's one of the most phenomenal games I've ever seen by a running back," Walker said of Taylor's performance, which propelled Glades Day into this week's state semifinals against unbeaten Victory Christian (Lakeland).

Collings said that Taylor's total ranks No. 5 all-time in state history. The single-game rushing record is 501 yards set by Shawn Smith of Tampa Bay Tech in 1985.

Video of Kelvin Taylor

Taylor, whose father is New England Patriots running back Fred Taylor, rushed for a phenomenal 2,597 yards last season as a freshman. Entering the playoffs this season, he had rushed for 1,269 yards, raising questions that perhaps he was a one-year sensation. Some have said he has not looked as fast or as quick as last season, but Taylor quieted the skeptics last Friday night when he almost single-handedly carried Glades Day's offense, including the game-winning touchdown on a 76-yard run with 1:32 remaining in the game.

"I didn't care how many yards I had," said Taylor, who pierced Jupiter Christian's defense for 271 yards and five touchdowns in Glades Day's 45-44 win against the Eagles in last year's regional finals. "I just wanted to win. I love winning. If I get only 50 yards Friday night (in the state semis) but we win and go to state, I'll be happy."

The primary reason Taylor has not equaled or bettered his freshman rushing stats is because he has battled injuries ever since last spring when he sustained a slight meniscus tear in his left knee that required surgery. He also sustained a hip pointer this season and Walker said he purposely limited Taylor's workload in most games to be sure he was healthy for the playoffs. In Glades Day's first two playoff games, Taylor has rushed for 710 yards and scored eight touchdowns, and he is closing in on another 2,000-yard season.

"I can see why they were saying that," Glades Day coach Pete Walker said of those who believed Taylor's quickness and speed were not what they were last season. "But he's a heck of a competitor. He hates to lose. He's not a prima donna. After every game, he'll be the first to praise his offensive line."

SHANNON'S FIRING COULD HURT UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI'S RECRUITING
It might be weeks before we know the recruiting fallout from the firing of head coach Randy Shannon at the University of Miami, but already there appears to be some recruits who are having second thoughts about possibly signing with the Hurricanes.

Northwestern (Miami) wide receiver Eli Rogers reportedly has erased UM from among the top three on his recruiting board after learning of Shannon's dismissal last Saturday night. "I was surprised and it has a lot of impact," Rogers told the Orlando Sentinel. "Coach Shannon and I were pretty tight. We had built a pretty good bond." Rogers now says LSU, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati and Central Florida are his top four teams.

So far, UM has received only seven verbal commitments for the 2011 recruiting class. One of them is Northwestern standout quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but he has been rumored to be rethinking his commitment, even before Shannon was let go. Another is nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, who told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that he remains committed to the Hurricanes and is "just waiting on who they hire."

Standout defensive end Anthony Chickillo of Alonso (Tampa) said he was stunned by the news of Shannon's firing, but remains committed to the Hurricanes, for now. "It felt like someone punched me in the gut," he told the Sentinel. "I still don't even know how I stand as far as my scholarship goes. I just know that a lot of schools still want to talk to me and I'll talk to whoever wants me. I'm going to take my five official visits. I can guarantee that."

PLAYOFFS, ROUND THREE
With each round, the matchups become more intriguing, so here's a glance at the South Florida football teams still in the hunt for a state championship:

Click here to view MaxPreps' Florida football playoff brackets

Class 6A: Central (Miami) ousted rival Northwestern (Miami) 42-27 in the regional semifinals last week and faces once-beaten South Dade (Homestead) in what could be a high-scoring game. Northeast (Oakland Park) eliminated defending state champion Miramar 21-12 and next faces a strong running team in Cypress Bay (Weston). Seminole Ridge (Loxahatchee) won a 23-20 thriller on a last-second field goal last week against Atlantic (Delray Beach) to advance to the regional finals for the first time in the program's five-year history, but the Hawks' run likely will come to an end Friday night when they travel to face unbeaten Dr. Phillips (Orlando), which is the favorite of many observers to win the state title.

Class 5A: Unbeaten and nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) has outscored its opponents by a combined 557-77 this season and is favored to stretch its winning streak against Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes), which beat Ely (Pompano Beach) last week for the Cobras' first regional semifinal win.

Class 4A: Defending state champion and nationally ranked Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens), which has routed its first two playoff opponents by a combined score of 88-3, takes an 11-game winning streak to unbeaten Palm Bay (Melbourne) in the regional finals for what will be Dwyer's most challenging test since losing its controversial season opener to Glenville (Cleveland) in Ohio.

Class 3A: Two once-beaten district runner-up teams meet in the regional finals when Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale), which is making its first appearance in this round, Norland (Miami), which avenged an early-season loss to Belen Jesuit (Miami) last week in the semifinals.

Class 2A: Glades Central (Belle Glade), the 2009 state runner-up, hits the road to tangle with Robinson (Tampa) in a rematch of last year's state semifinal. The winner plays either Madison County (Madison) or Cocoa, both undefeated, for the state title Dec. 11 in Orlando.

Class 2B: University (Fort Lauderdale) handed Monsignor Pace (Miami) its first loss with a 28-6 whipping last week to reach its first state semifinal game at Island Coast (Cape Coral).

Class 1A: Defending state champion American Heritage (Delray Beach) has three losses but the Stallions again are looking like a strong title contender. They play host to a formidable opponent, however, in once-beaten Fort Meade, which has a record of 138-28 over the past 12 seasons, in Friday's state semifinals.

Class 1B: Glades Day (Belle Glade) upset Jupiter Christian 35-29 for the second consecutive year behind a record-setting performance from sophomore running back Kelvin Taylor (437 yards rushing, five touchdowns) and will play host to unbeaten Victory Christian Academy (Lakeland) and quarterback Demeitre Brim, who has amassed almost 3,000 yards total offense.

RECRUITING NEWS
Highly touted tight end Nick O'Leary of nationally ranked Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) told the Palm Beach Post on Monday that he has narrowed his choices to Alabama, Florida State, LSU and Miami. O'Leary said the firing of UM coach Randy Shannon over the weekend will not affect his decision-making process.

Wide receiver Herve Coby of American Heritage (Delray Beach) has not made a decision yet, but said last week that West Virginia is his leader. Coby plans to visit WVU in early January and has hinted that he might make a verbal commitment to the Mountaineers during his visit to Morgantown. Coby also might take an offiicial visit to Illinois. He's also considering Bowling Green, Cincinnati and Minnesota.

Atlantic (Delray Beach) defensive tackle Luther Maddy has withdrawn his commitment to Marshall to rethink his decision. He's also received offers from Florida Atlantic, Florida International and Hampton.

Steve Dorsey, who covers the South Florida region for MaxPreps.com, is a freelance writer based in West Palm Beach. He has covered the South Florida high school sports scene for the past 29 years. He also is a contributing writer for American Football Monthly and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.