Prep Football Preview: Parkway Central's Sheperd is Center of Attention

football coach Mark Goldenberg said Brandon Sheperd is one player “worth talking about.”

And plenty of colleges are trying to talk to him.

Sheperd, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior at Parkway Central, is one of the most heavily recruited players in the St. Louis area. Among the 14 schools vying for his attention are Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Kansas State, Minnesota, Michigan State, Cincinnati and Vanderbilt.

“He has not committed, much to the chagrin of my family,” Goldenberg quipped.

Sheperd showed up to practice last Thursday wearing an Oklahoma State undershirt. When asked if there was anything to that, Sheperd laughed and simply said, “No, sir.”

He said the recruiting process has “been crazy” but has also forced him to mature as a team leader.

“I don’t want to be that person people see as cocky,” Sheperd said. “So coming into this season, I knew everybody would be looking at me. I wanted to be more of a leader because I have all of this attention.

“I want my teammates to see me as a leader and a friend.”

Barring injuries, Sheperd may be the only Colts player to start both ways. But there’s a reason for that.

“It’s going to be hard to get him off the field,” Goldenberg said. “He’s just that good. He’s got the size and speed and just about as good of hands as I’ve ever seen.”

Goldenberg said Sheperd is maturing and has a better understanding of the game.

“He realizes the importance of the big picture instead of just showing up and relying on his skill,” Goldenberg said.

Although the Colts return 10 starters, another reason for optimism is the progression of last year’s junior varsity players who put together a 9-1 record.

“Obviously, you don’t know if things are going to transfer until they get into the speed of a varsity game,” Goldenberg said. “But we’re excited about some of the kids who played JV last year.”

Offense

One of those players is senior Cole Gorman, who Sheperd said will surprise some people. Goldenberg said Gorman is a savvy, intelligent player with an “ability to see the whole field” and “throws the ball really well.”

Behind Gorman in Central’s pro-style offense will be 5-9 senior Alan Gasanli with Jace Roman at fullback.

Along with Sheperd, the Colts return four other starters on offense. Three offensive linemen are back, although there will be some reshuffling along the line.

Senior Alex Scarato, a 6-foot, 240-pound three-year starter who played tackle last year, will play guard. Senior Akbar Usmanov (5-11, 255) will move from center to right tackle and senior Spencer Horwitz (6-2, 210) will slide from tight end to left tackle.

Defense

Sheperd will start at safety but the leader of the defense will be linebacker Logan Boyher, a 5-foot-9, 195-pound senior captain.

The other four returning starters include junior linebacker Miles Dvorak, also a team captain, junior defensive lineman Quentin Gray

“We’ve got some good leadership there,” Goldenberg said. “We’ll be really, really good and aggressive on the defensive side of the ball. We’re excited about our defense. I think we’re going to take some steps forward in that area.”

The Colts gave up an average of 25 points per game last year. 

Coach

Goldenberg is entering his ninth season as the Central head coach. His career mark is 58-32. Goldenberg will make more of an effort to play fewer players both ways in an attempt to keep his team fresh for a postseason run.

“This might be the one year we have enough depth to try to play different people,” Goldenberg said.

Schedule

Although they finished with a winning record, the Colts were the “weakest” of the four teams in their district in 2010. With the same three teams— (7-3), (8-3) and Webster Groves (13-1)—in the district again, Goldenberg doesn’t want to be the team with the worst record for the second straight season.

“It was an absolute bear last year and those teams are perennially good teams,” Goldenberg said. “We expect the same team and we want to do better in districts because 6-4 doesn’t get you much. It’s a congratulations and you’re packing your things up at the end. That’s the goal.”

Week One: The Colts are scheduled to open at home Friday against Because Central’s new turf field stadium is not yet completed, the game may be played Friday night at Parkway West. That decision has not been made as of yet.