By Matt Mauney | Associate EditorÂ
Five local underclassmen football standouts will take part in an NFL-style combine Friday at the Under Armour All-American Football Combine, held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
Plant City High will have two players participate – offensive lineman Montel McBride and defensive back Jyquis Thomas. They will be joined by fellow Class of 2014 defensive end prospect Dontriel Perry from Durant and his Cougars teammate, offensive lineman Cody Martin.
Strawberry Crest High will also be represented by Alex Carswell, who played mostly wide receiver for the Chargers last season, but is listed as a defensive lineman on the combine roster.
Only 150 underclassmen prospects from across the nation were selected for the combine, which is part of the Under Armour All-American game festivities. Combine participants hail from as close as the Tampa Bay area to as far as Wyoming and Arizona.
The 2013 Under Armour All-American game, featuring the top senior high school players in the country, will be held at Tropicana Field Friday at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
The combine will consist of skill testing, beginning at 9 a.m. before participants take part in football skill development work with the NFL alumni coaching staff, including former Strawberry Crest head coach Gerald Dickens.