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If Charles Fishbein were to list all the players he has been responsible for helping to receive a college football scholarship the past six years, the pages would be filled with success stories.

At a time when everyone is hawking their off season camps and combines throughout the state, Fishbein has been there along the way – fulfilling the promises made when the athletes headed to his combines.

The horror stories that you hear about different companies promising scholarships if athletes attend their events has now played out with many coaches and players catching on. Parents are also seeing for themselves who are the ones telling the truth when it comes to landing a coveted scholarship.

With one of the most complete and rewarding events that will be held anywhere in South Florida, the annual Elite Scouting Services combine, which will be hosted on Saturday, Mar. 17 at Cardinal Gibbons High school in Fort Lauderdale, gets players, coaches and parents involved – and thats something that brings in nearly 200 players each year.

“What our combines have always been about is getting the athletes promoted and placed,” said Fishbein. “We have people running these events with nearly 50 years of combine/camp experience, which is something nobody can truthfully say.”

With current NFL stars such as Patrick Peterson, Cory Liuget, Demarcus Van Dyke as well as college standouts such as E.J. Manual and Eli Rogers, the ESS events have been able to attract top-flight players because of the competition that exists during the football portion of the combine.

More recruiting evaluators and media members attend the ESS events because there are no restrictions and every player is open to be interviewed, evaluated and photographed throughout the day. That is a huge part of any event that is held.

“Charles and his team at Elite Scouting have a solid reputation with players, coaches and parents,” said Ken Mastrole of the Mastrole Passing Academy, who instructs at the ESS events. “They come to the combine and leave with a smile on their faces. I challenge you to go to any other combine and see that.”

From registration, to weight lifting, running and playing some football, the experience is what every young athlete and their parent can look forward to – with no pressure at all.

“The one thing about what we do when it comes to our combines/camps is we tell the parents right there that if they need help, let us know,” said Fishbein. “Thats why we were helping place athletes some four weeks after everyone else signed on the dotted line.”

EVERGLADES COMING BACK

After a year in which his team didnt get in the playoff mix, Joshua Shapiro and his Everglades Gators could pose a healthy challenge to district foes Miramar, Flanagan, west Broward, Western and Cypress Bay in the fall.

This is a team loaded with talent – at every class – and the size the line has may add up to one of the most impressive teams they have had in a few years.

Here is a look at some of the rising seniors in the Class of 2013:

There may not be a better prospect than 6-6, 220-pound defensive end Alvonte Bell. But as sought after as this tremendous football talent is, there are other rising seniors who are expected to step up. Players such as Hialeah American transfer Josh Shaw (WR, 6-1, 180), Illya Stafford (DB, 5-10, 170), Andre Hallmon (DB/WR, 5-11, 175), Omar Homouda (DB, 6-2, 190), Jeremy Nieves (OL, 6-4, 310), Emmaneus Joseph (OL, 6-3, 310), Torris Norris (OL/DL, 5-10, 265), Caleb Goldson (QB, 5-9, 175), Rodriguez Alexander, (WR, 5-11, 155) and Donell Williams (DB, 6-0, 145).

The 2014 class is also stacked with athletes as well, including Nigel Kemp (OL/DL, 6-1, 305), Bryan Leigh (OL, 6-2, 275), Chris Taylor (WR, 6-2, 155), Albert Smalls (DB, 6-1, 170) and Braxton Dudley (OL/DL, 6-2, 245).

If the rising junior class didn’t give you an indication of how bright the future is going to be, the rising sophomores – with Kahntrell Burden (QB/Athlete, 5-10, 180), Tarik Aiken (RB, 5-7, 165), Dwayne Williams (WR, 5-9, 150) and 6-5, 320-pound offensive lineman Deandre Tyler – certainly will.

We are always looking to help promote our area recruits for the current classes of 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. All you have to do is send a DVD and information about the athlete to: Larry Blustein, P.O. Box 3181, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009.

The 2012 high-school basketball season has come to a close, but there are still a few awards to hand out. I’m working on The Seattle Times’ boys all-state team and I’m asking for input.

Which player deserves to be the state’s MVP?

So you have just Graduated High School and are wondering where the funds will come from for your college education. Or maybe you are working a tireless job, seeking the money to further your education and get into the career you are really passionate about.

Many people find themselves in similar situations, not knowing what options are available to them. Unfortunately, for some, years and even decades pass before they make a step in the right direction. A Navy Scholarship is a practical and easily accessible method in obtaining the funds for college while getting real-world experience in your chosen profession.

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The NROTC Scholarship Program

There are many scholarship opportunities available through the Navy. However, the most prominent opportunity revolves around the NROTC scholarship program. This program offers 100% tuition assistance to students enrolled in the Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps. Additionally, candidates are provided a stipend for book fees and an allowance to help cover cost of living, which increases depending on your current year in school. 

Students enrolled in the NROTC scholarship program have the time to focus on school and life without the worries associated with massive tuition debt. They also gain valuable real-world experience as an active member of the Navy during Summer Cruise training.

Scholarship Program Opportunities

Students seeking a Navy NROTC scholarship have many options to choose from in high-demand careers. Below are some of the most notable:

• Engineering - Engineers are always in demand. The NROTC scholarship program provides education options for students seeking a position as a civil engineer – with opportunities to work anywhere around the world during school and after graduation.
• Information Technology - Information technology is not only a valuable aspect of Navy life, but society as well. On top of real-world experience while serving as an active member of the Navy, you will also be able to earn a degree in a range of IT-based careers.
• Nursing - No other professional in the medical field is more important than a nurse. They are the arteries of the medical facilities in which they work, providing patient care and relaying information to doctors. Students seeking a job in this rewarding field have the opportunity to earn their RN, and continue into further specialization they see fit as part of the NROTC scholarship program.  

The Navy has a range of educational opportunities for students seeking assistance and advancement in life. Through a Navy Scholarships program, your tuition will not only be covered completely, but you will also gain valuable discipline and priceless real-world experience as an active member of the military.

The only problem with Cam Newton’s one-and-done blur of a Heisman season — really, the only problem — is that it was so unexpected. The Newton who played at Florida, prior to his being dismissed from the program, was a wildly athletic runner with minimal skills as a passer: he could throw far and he could throw fast, but accuracy, let alone the ability to diagnose a college defense, remained far out of his grasp. But there was no doubting his unparalleled physical gifts, and there was no limiting the excitement over the idea of teaming Newton’s athleticism with Gus Malzahn’s never-fail spread offense. If nothing else, Newton could give Auburn the running dimension it lacked at quarterback in 2009.

Not that the Tigers didn’t expect more. The Tigers expected a difference-maker, and in rolling out all the stops to land Newton’s signature the program hoped for the sort of quarterback who could lift it into the SEC West hunt. Auburn got that and more, and the never-ending reel of Newton-themed highlights remains fresh in our minds.

What Auburn got was the best JUCO transfer in college football history; the best one-year wonder in history; the finest quarterback in school history; and, perhaps, the finest single season by a player in the history of college football. And Auburn excepted it all willingly, of course, but Newton’s amazing season left the program with an issue: there was no succession plan.

There was no plan for 2011, that is. Gene Chizik’s plan when adding Newton was to have him run the show for two years while developing his eventual replacement; as it was, the Tigers were forced to embrace life without Newton one year ahead of schedule, heading into SEC play with the quarterbacks Newton was first brought into replace.

The gap in talent between Newton and Barrett Trotter is larger than the gap between an Alabama fan and an Auburn fan as they pass on the street. Newton was once in a lifetime; Trotter, while a serviceable starter in the SEC, had none of the gifts that made Newton such a jaw-dropping talent.

This isn’t news: Auburn struggled offensively because Newton was no longer in the fold. What was surprising was the ease with which the fan base soured on Malzahn, who only eight months before the start of the 2011 season had been viewed as the one irreplaceable piece of Chizik’s staff. Was Malzahn really to blame for the drop in offensive production, or was the decline merely a byproduct of Auburn being caught unprepared by Newton’s one-and-done junior season?

The answer will come in September, in a way. Malzahn is out, having taken the head job at Arkansas State. His replacement, former Temple offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, has dipped into both the spread — he was a former assistant at Florida under Urban Meyer — and more pro-style offenses during his 14-year coaching career, with heavy focus on the latter.

And Trotter is out, having opted to skip his senior season. That leaves Auburn with a new coordinator but a similar problem. Three quarterbacks: one junior with some experience, a sophomore with little experience and a true freshman trying to learn the system on the fly.

The junior, Clint Moseley, lost a spirited battle for the starting job in August before replacing Trotter as the starter in late October. The sophomore, Kiehl Frazier, has tremendous promise but didn’t impress in his limited duty last fall. The true freshman, Zeke Pike, chose Auburn from a slew of offers from across the SEC.

Another thing hasn’t changed: Auburn’s season will be defined by its quarterback play, as in 2011. And another: Loeffler, like Malzahn before him, is widely viewed as a strong developer of quarterback talent. In addition, Loeffler has some experience handling a long-running quarterback competition; Temple played three quarterbacks last fall before finally settling on Chris Coyer, who looks like the program’s future at the position.

The offense will change, however. While Loeffler will give lip service to the idea of maintaining a Malzahn-era spread, the Tigers will make a distinct move towards a more prototypical offensive philosophy. Auburn’s offense will be more Alabama, in short — which isn’t such a bad thing, given the way A.J. McCarron and the Tide ripped Auburn to shreds in last November’s Iron Bowl.

Season grade: C The defending national champs didn’t play a complete game all season, unless you count a Nov. 19 win over Samford. You shouldn’t count Samford. Auburn barely sneaked past Utah State in the season opener. The defense was inept for all but the final two plays of a 41-34 win over Mississippi State. Mighty Florida Atlantic held the Tigers to 315 yards of total offense. Mississippi ran for 220 yards on the ground. And these were wins; Auburn barely showed a pulse in defeat. Clemson had 624 yards of total offense. Arkansas, L.S.U., Georgia and Alabama beat the Tigers by the combined final score of 170-45. In all, Auburn scored 234 fewer points and allowed 39 more points in one fewer game than in 2010. Not quite the national title follow-up that the Tigers had in mind, I’m sure.

High point A 16-13 win at then-No. 10 South Carolina on Oct. 1. For one week, at least, the defense showed up. This game is notable for another reason: After five years and as many suspensions, this was Stephen Garcia’s final start for the Gamecocks.

Low point A 42-14 loss to the Crimson Tide. One year after blowing a 24-0 lead, Alabama took a 24-7 advantage into halftime and never looked back.

Offensive M.V.P. Michael Dyer followed up his 1,000-yard freshman campaign with a team-best 1,242 yards and 10 scores. He cracked the 100-yard mark six times, helping Auburn partially offset the rushing production lost when Newton opted to forego his final season of eligibility. Dyer did Newton one better: he chose to forego his final two seasons at Auburn in transferring to Arkansas State, where he’ll continue serving as Malzahn’s most valuable weapon at running back. Additional credit should go to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen, who scored the eventual game-deciding touchdowns in Auburn’s wins over Mississippi State and South Carolina. There’s no better red zone weapon at his position in the SEC.

Defensive M.V.P. Three of Auburn’s four leading tacklers were defensive backs, which says much about the defense’s weak front seven. Weak, perhaps, but the front seven contained Auburn’s lone all-conference selection on the defensive side of the ball: Corey Lemonier, a sophomore end who paced the Tigers with 13.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, is a key building block in new coordinator’s Brian VanGorder’s reimagining of Auburn’s once-vaunted defensive attack. Lemonier accounted for 43 percent of the team’s sack total.

Stock watch It doesn’t get any easier from here. Auburn has a new offensive coordinator, Loeffler, and a new defensive coordinator, VanGorder. Then there’s the SEC West, which should have three teams ranked among the top 10 heading into September. There is good news, however. While the Tigers lost Dyer and both starting tackles, the majority of last season’s contributors on offense are back in the fold. VanGorder inherits a youthful but experienced group on defense, albeit one desperately in need of an injection of confidence. The bottom line: Auburn can’t possibly play with less consistency than it did last season. Even with a nice improvement, however, the Tigers cannot be considered more than the fourth-best team in the West heading into next season. It’s true that Auburn has surprised before; unfortunately, there’s no transcendent, Newton-like star capable of lifting this team to the forefront of the SEC.

This weeks South Florida High School Football.com Gridiron Report, powered by Maroone, promises to be the one of the best shows of the year.The 2012 College Coaches Spring Report will begin this week as University of Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones will join Larry Blustein between 9-10 on Wednesday night on WQAM (560 AM).Its all about defense as Gulliver Prep defensive end Stacy Thomas and Plantation American Heritage linebacker Michael Deeb will talk about what makes them among the best in the state of Florida.CINCINNATI KIDWhether it was at Central Michigan, West Virginia or his current position as the head coach at the University of Cincinnati, Coach Jones has always used the state of Florida as a huge enhancement to his programs.At Central Michigan, it wasnt uncommon to see 20-25 Floridians on the roster on any given year.After taking over a Cincinnati team that had done some impressive things, Jones found a way to come in and quickly continue the positive momentum, winning 10 games last year and getting the opportunity to ring the bell on the AutoZone Liberty Bowl trophy with a win over an SEC program.On national Signing Day, the Bearcats who had risen to the top of the Big East, had six more Floridians to join a roster that now numbers 16 from the Sunshine State.THE REAL DEALAfter dominating as a junior at so many positions, Thomas became one of those prospects who jumped into the spotlight – in a hurry!His size (6-3, 220), ability to play receiver, tight end, linebacker and just about anywhere the Raiders needed him was a huge plus.Has been looked at big all the major BCS schools.THE DOMINATORThere may not have been a more underexposed player than Deeb, who at 6-3, 230, dominated every opponent with his speed, size, strength and ability to make plays.Easily one of the nations most gifted athletes who can do it all on and off the football field. A very hard worker who continues to get better, which is the reason colleges continue to offer daily.Big time football talent.Miss the show on www.wqam.com or live on the radio? Check out http://sfhighschoolsports.com.

Bellevue football coach Butch Goncharoff has applied to coach at Orange Lutheran in California, the Los Angeles Times is reporting. .

Goncharoff told Eric Sondheimer Tuesday he has applied for the job, telling the reporter, “It’s a great area and a great situation. I wouldn’t have applied if I wasn’t interested. We’ll see what happens.”

I just caught up with Goncharoff, who said he has never applied for a new job since being hired at Bellevue. He just wanted to go through the process.

“I’ve never gone through the process before,” said Goncharoff, who has won nine state titles in 11 years. “There’s nothing about Bellevue I’m displeased about. It’s awesome. The community is great. The school is great. My situation is unbelievable. I just want to put myself out there, take a look at it.”

He added, “I’ve never said I’m leaving. I’m just going through the process for whatever that’s worth.”