FOOTBALL

The Big 15: DeMarcus Townsend hopes to carry Palmetto Ridge to first district title

Palmetto Ridge running back Demarcus Townsend, No. 9 on The Big 15 list.

DeMarcus Townsend has been earning raves for his athletic ability, almost from the moment he stepped onto the field as a 6-year-old playing flag football.

As an eighth-grader, he was named to the Eastbay All-American Bowl (now the FBU All-American Bowl), a prestigious showcase for youth football players. The next year, he took part in a Nike camp in Miami and earned the second-highest SPARQ rating in the nation among freshmen, a measurement Nike uses to rate speed, power, agility, reaction and quickness.

He’s been a mainstay in national camps ever since, and he’s finally on the verge of seeing all that promise land him a college scholarship. Tennessee, UCLA, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Baylor and USF are among the 16 Division I schools pursuing the rising Palmetto Ridge senior.

Townsend moves up three spots this year to No. 9 on The Big 15 list, the countdown of the top high school football players in Southwest Florida as compiled by the Naples Daily News and The News-Press.

Townsend transferred from Gulf Coast to Palmetto Ridge earlier this year, after helping the Sharks win their first district championship last year. He says he hopes to help the Bears do the same in 2017. Palmetto Ridge has not won a district championship in the 13-year history of the program.

“I just want to lead my team on both sides of the ball, just help us win any way I can,” Townsend said. “And hopefully we can make school history.”

Townsend said the offense installed at Palmetto Ridge should better suit his skills, especially since the Bears new quarterback — Lely transfer Jacquez Carter — is one of the most dynamic signal callers in Southwest Florida.

The Big 15 logo

“At Gulf Coast, they like to throw the ball a bit more, and this is a more run-based offense,” he said. “With (Carter) being a dual-threat quarterback, it’s going to make it hard for defenses to plan for us. His arm keeps getting better every year, so if they try to take the run away, he can make them pay by throwing it down the field or taking off running it himself.”

Townsend led Gulf Coast with 833 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground last year, appearing in nine games. He saved one of his biggest efforts for the Sharks’ most important game of the year, rushing for 104 yards in Gulf Coast’s 14-6 district championship-clinching win over South Fort Myers. Townsend showed true grit on a 28-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run, pulling his hamstring but still carrying defenders the final six yards for the score.

Prep football: Star transfers Carter, Townsend raise expectations at Palmetto Ridge

“There aren’t too many guys out there who run a 4.4 (40-yard dash) and have a 40-inch vertical,” former Gulf Coast teammate and Notre Dame commit George Takacs said. “He’s just so gifted athletically, and that gives him such a big advantage.”

Townsend said he’s always trying to hone his skills, saying he’d like to show off his receiving prowess this year.

“I need to show (college) coaches I can catch the ball out of the backfield,” he said. “So, that’s one thing I’ve been working on. There’s always ways you can improve.”

Prep football: Standout running back DeMarcus Townsend transfers to Palmetto Ridge

The Big 15 

The News-Press and Naples Daily News are counting down the top football recruits in Southwest Florida every Tuesday and Friday leading to the start of high school football season. The Big 15 features players going into their junior and senior years from Lee and Collier counties, with respect paid to those with hard scholarship offers and those who possess great potential.

About The Big 15 photos

The News-Press and Naples Daily News brought The Big 15 players to Sky Zone Trampoline Park in south Fort Myers to capture the images for this series. The players bounced, jumped and dove to create their poses. Special thanks to Sky Zone for allowing us to use their facility for this project.