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11 Terriers Signees Are Most In County

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By NICK WILLIAMS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 7, 2008

Updated: 02/07/2008 12:15 am

TAMPA - Hillsborough High football coach Earl Garcia Jr. understands the importance of continuing your education past high school.

Many years ago, he became the first person in his family to go to college.

"I think I was the first to even drive past a college," said Garcia, jokingly.

That's why last season's National Signing Day turnout at Hillsborough was a day Garcia wishes he could forget.

Last year, Hillsborough suffered its worst season under Garcia when the Terriers finished 6-5. To add to that, Hillsborough didn't have any players sign letters-of-intent on the biggest day of high school football. On average, Garcia said six to eight players from Hillsborough sign on National Signing Day every year. Two players were able to sign weeks after National Signing Day last year.

"It goes hand in hand with the number of good players you have and the number of games you win," Garcia said.

This past season, however, the Terriers finished 9-3 and advanced to the Class 4A region semifinals. The team started the season 6-0. As a result, 11 players signed letters-of-intent Wednesday, the most of any Hillsborough County school this year. Garcia said it was the most that had signed on National Signing Day during his time at Hillsborough.

The 11 players are linebacker Marc Thomas (Georgia Southern), defensive lineman Moses McCray (Florida State), defensive back Chuck Grace (Florida International), defensive back Andreas Ashwood (Toledo), running back Iziah Wyche (Webber International) and Mario Gallon, Antonio McKay, Willie Francis, Zaki Grier, Dan Mosquera and Mike Carter to Siskiyous Community College in California.

McCray already had committed to Florida State as a junior at Middleton before he transferred to Hillsborough last summer. Garcia said senior defensive back Erik Fennell is waiting on a possible offer from Murray State, while senior offensive lineman Charlie Hughlett will be a preferred walk-on at Central Florida.

To ensure that Hillsborough wouldn't have another dry recruiting period, Hillsborough assistant coaches Dean Eychner and Alonzo Ashwood dove into the college recruiting process two weeks after the season ended. Ashwood said he mailed between 50 to 75 highlight DVDs to college coaches around the country.

"All of the California kids, that deal was handled by Coach Ashwood," Garcia said. "I don't believe I've met anybody that loves kids more than Coach Ashwood. He's in high school coaching for the right reasons. Coach Eychner is the guy who really handles the administrative side of recruiting. I do some of it, but those two guys do most of it."

"We sent a lot of DVDs to Division II and junior colleges," said Ashwood, whose son Andreas was the first of the senior group to commit. "The coach from Siskiyous, I sent him eight DVDs and he said, 'I'll take all of them.'"

For some of the players, being able to sign with so many teammates made Signing Day even more special.

"I didn't think it would be that many," Thomas said. "Next year, they'll have some good players. It'll probably be more than this"

This year, Garcia was able to stand before dozens of students, faculty and friends to introduce Hillsborough High's signing class.

"To me, this is one of the joys of coaching," Garcia said. "This is about giving these kids an opportunity."

Garcia said the program is also involved in talks of a contract with Reebok.

"We will try to set up a contract at a meeting next week," Garcia said. "We're excited about it."

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 865-4848 or nwilliams@tampatrib.com.

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