By Kyle LoJacono
Pasco High coach Tom McHugh is continuing to churn out top college football prospects, and two of his best just signed with Division I programs.
Seniors Hakeeme Ishmar and Jamie Byrd committed with Florida Atlantic and Boise State universities respectively. They are the first Pirates to make commitments this season after receiving numerous offers from other programs.
“Schools liked that they can do a lot of things,” McHugh said. “They can hit and tackle on defense and catch and run the ball on offense. You don’t find a lot of players like that. They are all-around football players.”
Ishmar, 6-foot-3, had 10 carries for 107 yards, 10.7 per rush, and one touchdown, while adding 12 catches for 192 yards. He also had 17 tackles and three sacks as a defensive end.
Ishmar is being recruited by Florida Atlantic as a tight end, but he could even help the Owls basketball program if needed. He is a forward for the Pasco squad, where he is averaging 13.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game through the first 12 contests.
Byrd, 6-foot-1, is the reigning Sunshine Athletic Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year on a unit that allowed just 13.3 points per game in 2010. He led the Pirates with 73 tackles while forcing three fumbles and two interceptions.
Byrd played safety on defense, but also added seven rushes for 111 yards, 15.9 per attempt, and one score. He added 13 catches for 192 yards.
The Pirates went 11-1 in 2010, including a perfect 10-0 regular season and the squad’s fourth straight district championship.
“They are both really good players,” McHugh said. “It will be hard to come up with people to replace what they did on both sides of the ball for us the last few years.”
-All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches.
