bout the only thing Malik Davis ’17 and Travell Harris ’17 didn’t do during their Jesuit football careers was a get stamped with a catchy nickname. No matter – they will go down as the greatest 1-2 punch in Tiger football annals. Together, Davis and Harris put together a transcendent, historic season. The two lifelong friends, who both were born on Nov. 26, 1998, combined for a whopping 50 touchdowns in 13 games this fall. Davis obliterated almost every Hillsborough County single season and career rushing record, while Harris might have been the state’s most prolifi c offensive and special teams player per touch – while also being perhaps Jesuit’s best defensive player at cornerback. Harris scored 17 touchdowns: 9 receiving, 4 on punt returns, 2 on kickoff returns, and 2 rushing, in addition to his elite defensive play. Harris’ per touch averages were astounding: 11.2 yards per rush (22 carries, 250 yards), 26.9 per reception (22 catches, 592 yards), 42.3 yards per kickoff return (7 for 296 yards), and 28.3 per punt return (10 for 283 yards). Davis arguably had the greatest JESUIT SP RTS Dynamic Duo 18 JESUIT PERSPECTIVES • WINTER 2016-17 season and football career in Hillsborough County history, and compiled one of the best rushing careers in state history. This fall, he rushed for 2,469 yards on 214 carries (11.5 avg.), with 33 touchdowns, breaking his single season school records from 2015 of 2,337 rushing yards and 28 TDs. The 33 TDs are a single-season county record, and Fall Signing Day A Malik Davis ’17 (20) and Travell Harris ’17 (1) combined for 50 touchdowns this season Seven Jesuit High School senior athletes, including fi ve baseball players, signed with the colleges of their choice November 9 at an early morning signing ceremony in the President’s Board Room on campus. Family, friends, and coaches packed the room as Jesuit president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J., and athletic director Terry Rupp ’84 off ered congratulations. They also encouraged the signees to continue striving, and to be leaders among their peers for the remainder of their high school careers and into college. the rushing yards is second-best in county history (Lydell Ross had 2,698 for Gaither in 2000). Davis was named the Times’ Tampa Bay area Offensive Player of the Year and won the prestigious Guy Toph Award as the best player in Hillsborough County. Davis completed his Jesuit career with 7,029 rushing yards and 83 rushing touchdowns (84 total TDs). The rushing yards rank Davis 11th in state history, and he is No. 1 in county history by a wide margin of nearly 1,300 yards over second place Ray Ray McCloud of Sickles, who plays for national champion Clemson. Davis’ career total TDs and rushing TDs also are the best in county history, with the rushing mark of 83 being 16 better than second place (Kalvin Bailey of Armwood had 67). Davis rushed for 323 yards and 2 TDs in the 34-14 win at TC, pushing him over 1,000 career rushing yards for his 4-year career against TC (including a 357-yard effort in 2015). Harris also scored twice against TC, including an 80-yard backbreaker TD run in the 4th quarter. Davis was expected to sign with the University of Florida on Feb. 1, and Harris was choosing from dozens of offers, including Arizona, South Florida, Washington State, and Missouri. The seven signees: • Brad Baker - lacrosse, Holy Cross • Stevie Darst - basketball, Loyola New Orleans • Jeff Hakanson - baseball, Central Florida • Duncan Hunter - baseball, Jacksonville • Kyle Koncal - baseball, Ave Maria • Price Sartor - baseball, Cornell • Garrett Sheppard - baseball, Coastal Carolina The fi ve baseball players have helped the Tigers win three District titles during their time at Jesuit, and were freshmen when Jesuit captured the Class 5A State Championship in 2014. Sheppard, a catcher, is joining the 2016 NCAA baseball National Champions at Coastal Carolina. Hakanson, Koncal, and Sartor are pitchers, and Hunter is an outfi elder who batted .360 last season. Darst, a guard, was the leading scorer for Jesuit basketball last season, and he led the Tigers to a berth in the State Tournament. Baker has been rated one of the top 100 prep lacrosse players in the nation. This was the fi rst of three college signing ceremonies scheduled at Jesuit for 2016-17. The second took place February 1, and the third is April 12. Scan to view a photo slideshow from Fall 2016 Signing Day
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