ROYAL PALM BEACH – Our area has plenty of hidden gems.
One of them is James Hunter III, a talented football and track standout who starred for Royal Palm Beach. The two-sport athlete has a college plan, and he wants to make sure he’s in the right environment for continuous growth on the next level.
The 6-foot-2, 183-pound outgoing senior recently signed his letter of intent to St. Thomas for track and field. He’s more comfortable with the spring sport at this particular time.
“The St. Thomas track program is brand new,” Hunter said. “It’s only been around for three years. But I plan on helping make the program No. 1 in the country.”
Hunter had more to say about his St. Thomas decision.
“To be honest, I decided to go to St. Thomas because it’s close to my family,” Hunter said. “They have the best business program in the country, and I feel like the [track] coach has my best interest at heart in helping me become independent and a successful person.”
Believe it or not, Hunter had another option he considered until external conditions made him go in another direction.
“My coach had hooked my up with football scholarships from some Division II schools,” Hunter said. “But I had just gotten accepted into LIU-Long Island University. My plan was originally to go to Brooklyn, but with COVID-19, going to New York wasn’t a smart plan for me anymore because it’s bad up there. I didn’t want to leave my mom alone, so I hit up the coach from St. Thomas and told him my stats for track. He was digging it, so he had offered me and everything just changed. I was now staying in Florida and going to Miami. That was exciting to me.”
Hunter can attribute his college track opportunity to an outstanding spring senior campaign at Royal Palm Beach. In the hurdles, the senior was on his way to becoming a state qualifier, as evidenced by him making the All-County First Team and placing in the top five at the All-Star Invitational in Miami.
Hunter’s best overall performance may have come at the Anquan Boldin Invitational in Pahokee earlier this year, when he reached the finish line in 15.2 seconds (110 meter hurdles) and 40.02 seconds (300 meter hurdles). He won both events with ease.
“That’s my hometown,” Hunter said. “I was raised in Pahokee before I moved over here to Royal Palm, so racing in front of my family who I don’t see much anymore – and also winning – ain’t no other feeling like it when you throw yourself across the finish line and walk back to your family. I represent them all day.”
Side note: Hunter’s father is James Hunter, Jr., and he’s related to Pahokee outgoing senior wideout/former Royal Palm Beach teammate Kenarvis Bowles.
As noted before, Hunter is more than just a track star. He played at wide receiver and linebacker this past fall football season for the Wildcats, helping his team rebound from 0-10 in 2018 to 6-4 in 2019.
Hunter caught a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Peyton Manifoli in Royal Palm Beach’s 34-21 win over West Boca Raton to open the season. This was arguably his best moment of the season on offense.
At linebacker, Hunter had a standout game against Pompano Beach in Week 10, as he tallied 8 tackles (2 TFL’s), 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery (70-yard scoop for a touchdown) to help his walk away with a 36-6 road win.
Hunter would like to parlay his football moments and overall ability to St. Thomas at some point in his college experience.
“I don’t plan on playing football until at least my junior year,” Hunter said. “I’m staying focused on track right now and making sure I can keep my grades up high.”
Hunter reflected on his high school experience, which will officially end with a virtual graduation ceremony on May 29.
“Gotta deal with the cards that life deals you,” Hunter said. “States was on the same day as our graduation, so we thought since states (track) was canceled, at least we got graduation. But then that got taken away too, and everyone was quick to agree to virtual graduation. I feel like more could have been done with the Class of 2020 besides just handing us our diplomas through a car window.”
Hunter made it clear that this experience – due to the coronavirus pandemic – will not stop him from being great on the next level.
“All I know is that you can’t lock a lion in his cage forever,” Hunter said. “I’ll be back on the track soon enough and do what I gotta do.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Gene Nardi and Live A Little Sports
