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football Edit

2010 receiver is getting noticed

OCALA --- As Kadron Boone walked off the field in defeat Friday, he decided to focus on the big picture and two things became obvious.
Championships are not won in October; and the path of a football career should not be decided in haste.
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Although other star players have chosen to commit prior to their senior season, Boone said he plans to wait before deciding on whether to accept Florida's scholarship offer.
"I'm still going to take my time and take all my visits," Boone said after his Trinity Catholic High team lost, 37-14, to Daytona Mainland. "I'm only a junior, so I'm not going to be in any rush to make that decision. If I feel that time is right, then I will make the decision. But right now I want to take all my visits first."
Boone visited UF for the second time this season last weekend when the Gators shellacked LSU, 51-21, during a festive night at The Swamp.
"It was a good atmosphere, good electricity," Boone said. "It was a good atmosphere to be around. The stadium was shaking. The crowd was hollering like crazy. It was a good experience for me."
Even more appealing was UF's spread option offense, which piled up 475 yards against a usually stingy LSU defense. Florida hurt LSU on the ground (265 yards) and through the air (210 yards) as five receivers caught passes.
"I liked what they did (on offense)," Boone said. "They rotate seven different receivers in and out. It was a good rotation. I like the way they use their receivers. (To see that) was a good experience for me."
Boone, 6-1, 190, has totaled 29 catches for 623 yards in seven games, and appears to have shaken the rust from a torn ACL that robbed him of his sophomore season.
"He's got a chance to be a special player," Trinity coach John Brantley said. "He's got every opportunity ahead of him to be a big-time D-I player once he figures out what it takes to be the best and wants to be the best. Once he decides that he wants to be the best and his work ethic gets to where I feel it needs to be, he's going be as good as any receiver in this country. I've seen a bunch of them. It's up to him. He works hard. I feel he could work harder. He knows I feel he could work harder. That's the difference between the great ones and the good ones. Ten percent. If he can improve 10 percent, he's going to be a great one.
"We're lucky to have him. We're going to make him the best player we can with some good players around him to be as good as he can be."
Boone caught only two passes against Class 5A Mainland, which dominated Class 2B Trinity with a ferocious defensive line that disrupted the timing of the Celtics' usually fluid passing game.
Mainland, ranked No. 4 in 5A, improved to 7-0. Trinity, No. 2 in 2B, dropped to 6-1.
"It gives us an idea of what we have to work on," Boone said. "Our O-line has to do a better job. It's just little things that cost us this game. We'll break the film down and go from there. This will help us in the long run. We can learn from our mistakes now and correct that when it counts the most. It wasn't a district game, so it was a learning experience to get us ready for the playoff atmosphere."
Brantley, the father of UF quarterback John Brantley IV, said he plans to help guide Boone through the recruiting process. Florida is the only school that's offered a scholarship, but Georgia, LSU, Clemson, South Carolina, Ohio State and Oregon have expressed strong interest so far.
Once more options develop, the pros and cons will be weighed.
"Everybody's different," Brantley said. "I told his dad we'd sit down sometime in the near future and walk through that process and what it's like and give them as much information as I can if they want to commit early. There's nothing wrong with it. It takes a lot of pressure off and gives you a chance to enjoy your senior year."
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