Marvin Scott III, Ty Berrong among area's spring football game stars

With the final spring football games wrapping up Friday, the pads and helmets will be packed away for another couple of months.

Though the final scores do not count, there was still lots at stake for area football players over the last month. College coaches roamed the halls during the days and stood along the sidelines during afternoon practices. Not to mention, there are still plenty of starting spots up for grabs with 2019 grads ready to depart in the coming weeks.

Let's take a look at five players who showed up big in their spring games.

Marvin Scott III, Spruce Creek

It's hard to imagine anyone has had a better spring than the Hawks' workhorse running back.

Since mid-April, the 5-foot-9, 200-pounder has won a state weightlifting championship, fielded a call from Nick Saban and stacked close to 30 Division I offers. Scott looked every bit the part in Friday's home jamboree, gashing Atlantic Coast and 4A state champion Raines for a combined 182 yards and three touchdowns in four quarters of action.

"I felt good," Scott said after the game. "Breaking those tackles, the competition makes you better. We've been training all spring and we put it on the line tonight. I just wanted to show everybody what I had."

Florida State and Miami joined the list of Scott's prospective suitors this week, a list that also includes Alabama, Michigan, Nebraska, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.

Ty Berrong, Atlantic

Holding both Gainesville Eastside and DeLand scoreless for 30 minutes, Atlantic will carry plenty of confidence into the summer. It helped that their top defensive prospect looked back to his best.

Berrong snatched one of the Sharks' two interceptions against Eastside quarterback Anthony Richardson, a Florida commit, while adding two sacks, a fumble recovery and a key fourth-down tackle for loss on the night. The rising senior missed nearly half of the 2018 season due to a knee injury.

"He was the best player out there," Sharks coach DJ Mayo said. "Anybody that has not offered him, I'm not sure what else they are looking for, what else they want. Just cut on the tape.

"You can get a camp All-American that can do drills nice, or you can get a football player. He's a football player."

Torrey Gaines Jr. also shined for Atlantic in a surprise debut at quarterback, breaking off touchdown runs of 50 and 16 yards against Eastside.

Kyle Metiam, University

Titans coach Brian Kells told his team, "The third quarter was not our friend last year." Several leads were squandered in 2018, and Orlando Olympia cut a 26-0 lead down to five early in the second half.

But Metiam seemed to get stronger as the game wore on, finishing with 188 yards and two touchdowns. University prevailed, 33-21, in three quarters of varsity action.

"We needed a kickstart," said Metiam, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound rising senior. "We needed to put hope back into this program — that we can still be a dominant force in our (district). I think a win brings everybody's morale up, including the student body."

Ra'Mello Dotson, Mainland

Dotson's transition into the Bucs' No. 1 cornerback appears to be going smoothly.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound rising senior had an interception in the Bucs' first jamboree half against St. Augustine, and finished Thursday with two tackles and one pass breakup.

After spending last season almost exclusively as a wide receiver, when he caught 33 balls for 300 yards, Dotson filed away some much-needed tape for college evaluation. He has since scooped offers from UConn and Savannah State, in addition to Charlotte earlier this month.

Tobin Hackett, Flagler Palm Coast

With nine defensive starters gone, Bulldogs coach Travis Roland needed some of his younger athletes to step up. Hackett, whose older brother Seamus is set to graduate, answered the bell against Fleming Island.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound rising senior linebacker recorded three sacks, one which generated a forced fumble, in a 7-2 win through three varsity quarters.

"He went nuts," Roland said. "We have a bunch of rising juniors and seniors who have been starving for an opportunity. For us to go out and get a shutout, that was not my expectation, for sure."

Credited with 22 tackles and one sack last fall, Hackett figures to be in line for a lot more work. He can line up at outside linebacker and defensive end, Roland said.