Prep Notebook

By ROD GIPSON
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 25, 2002

National pundit touts two local athletes

Lydell Ross and Michael Jenkins will play big roles for the Ohio State football, according to ESPN Radio's Mel Kiper Jr.

Two of north Tampa's prep athletes recently received national exposure. During a recent Mel Kiper Jr. radio call-in show, the ESPN Radio and draft guru fielded a question about the Ohio State football program.

Kiper then referred to former Gaither running back Lydell Ross and former Leto wide receiver Michael Jenkins. Ross, a sophomore tailback, and Jenkins, a junior wide receiver, played well last season and should be integral parts of the Buckeye offense this year. Kiper called Jenkins a "playmaker with big-time leaping ability," and said Ross "will be a definite contributor in the backfield this season."

In 2001, Jenkins caught 49 passes for 988 yards and three scores. Jenkins caught a ball in every game last season enroute to earning his second varsity letter. His 20-yard-per-catch average highlighted a sophomore season that ended with Jenkins leading the Buckeyes with 152 yards receiving against South Carolina in the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.

Ross, meanwhile, seeing limited duty as a freshman, still managed 419 yards and six touchdowns on 120 carries. Also, Ross set a school record, becoming the youngest Ohio State player ever to rush for 100 yards in a game. Ross ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns Sept. 29, against Indiana when he was still 17 years old.

Ohio State kicked off its season Saturday against Texas Tech.

SOFTBALL: Former Chamberlain third baseman Krista Holle and former Sickles first baseman Laura Templeton have been named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association first team. And former Sickles players Tiffany Stewart and Tiffany Clark were named to the second team. Holle is a freshman at USF while Templeton is attending Florida. Stewart and Clark, meanwhile, will play for North Carolina and Daytona Beach Community College, respectively. BASEBALL: Sickles' Paul Moat and Leto's Sergio Perez were among the seven Tampa-area athletes that competed at the Team One South Showcase recently at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Moat, a senior catcher and Perez, a senior pitcher, were selected as finalists for the Team One National Showcase.

That national event will take place in mid-November in Las Vegas with a roster of 52 players from across the country playing in front of scouts for all 30 major league baseball squads.

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