Miramar football sticking to familiar ‘recipe for success' heading into 2025 season
Two of them, actually.
The first one is Miramar's 'Dark Side Defense,' a ferocious unit whose nickname goes all the way back to the program's only state title in 2009.
But what the Miramar program is really all about, according to coach A.J. Scott, is building from within, tinkering with position changes, and – over the course of a player's four years at the school – creating a skill-set that is ready to make an impact in college football.
Scott likens his job to that of a chef.
'At Miramar,' Scott said, 'we always have something in the oven cooking. When one player graduates, another player pops out of the oven, ready to go.
'We use our own seasoning, and that makes it taste good.'
Cooking analogy aside. Scott, who has been Miramar's head coach since 2017, has led the Patriots to five straight winning seasons, including a 10-2 record in 2022, an 8-5 mark in 2023 and 7-5 last year.
Traditionally, most of Miramar's best players are what Scott calls, 'Four-Year Patriots' – kids who played their entire high school career in this same program.
Examples of players who were successful after Miramar's coaches changed their position include Shamar Meikle, who went from free safety to outside linebacker and is now at Oregon State; and Desmond Reid, who went from slot receiver to running back and is now at Pitt, where he made second-team All-American last year.
Reid gained 1,545 yards from scrimmage last year, scoring nine touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per touch. He also added a TD on a 79-yard punt return.
'When I first met Desmond, he said he thought he was too small to be a running back,' said Scott of Reid, who is listed at 5-8 and 175 pounds. 'But I looked at how strong his legs are, and I told Desmond, 'You're a running back now.''
Smart move.
The best player to come from Miramar's football program is Geno Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback who is now with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Ex-Miramar star Myles Harden is also in the NFL. He is a second-year defensive back with the Cleveland Browns.
Other Miramar greats include four players who switched from wide receiver to defensive back: Tracy Howard (University of Miami); Brian Edwards (Florida); Herb Miller (Florida Atlantic); and Jacarvis Alexandre (Ferris State).
'I love 'stealing' wide receivers and moving them to defensive back,' Scott said.
Miramar even has a player in the Ivy League – defensive back Caleb Solomon.
All the players listed above were 'Four-Year Patriots', which is Scott's pride and joy.
Scott said a lot of credit goes to Miramar's junior-varsity program, which has helped develop numerous players.
'We have a lot of great coaches in our system,' Scott said. 'They help create some animals.'
Scott said Miramar averages about 30 players lost to graduation each year. Even so, they generally get about 130 players on the roster each year, and that is split equally between varsity and JV.
As for Miramar's top players for 2025, senior middle linebacker Jabril Mobley – a 5-11 and 210-pound senior -- leads the way.
On offense, Scott is fired up to have T.Y. Conyers back as Miramar's coordinator. Conyers was Geno Smith's offensive coordinator in 2008 before coaching in college.
Conyers came back at midseason last year, and he was a difference-maker, according to Scott.
'He's a great coach,' Scott said. 'I have never met a coach who takes players into the classroom to watch more film than I do, but, so far, he has me beat.'
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