WEST PALM BEACH – It was quite literally and figuratively a star-studded event at the ESPN Top 63 Awards Show on Saturday, Aug. 7.
Held at Keiser University’s gymnasium, the best sixty-three players from Palm Beach County, the Treasure Coast, and Clewiston from the Class of 2022 were honored for their current and past achievements on the field. They were treated like royalty from ESPN West Palm the entire time they were there, making for a well-organized and inclusive event from start to finish.
With that said, Palm Beach County took nearly half of the Top 10 ranking spots, as St. Andrews senior athlete Matthew James (No. 4 overall) earned the No. 1 ranking in our area. The do-it-all speedster and playmaker was one of four Palm Beach County players in the Top 10 of the ESPN Top 63, as he was joined by the likes of Dwyer senior defensive back Xavier Scott (No. 2 in Palm Beach County; No. 5 overall), Palm Beach Gardens senior linebacker Vincent Dubose (No. 3 in Palm Beach County; No. 7 overall), and Atlantic defensive back Marquis Lymon (No. 4 in Palm Beach County; No. 10 overall).
According to 247 Sports, James currently has at least eight FBS offers, including the likes of LSU, Penn State, West Virginia, Kentucky, Duke, Georgia Tech, USF, and FAU. This could have played a role in the 6-foot-1, 170-pound athlete being ranked as ESPN Top 63’s No. 1-ranked player in Palm Beach County.
The Hudl film for James speaks for itself, as one could easily see his electrifying level of athleticism, football IQ, and speed manifest on the field, to say the least.
In five games as a junior, James finished with 22 receptions for 425 yards and eight touchdowns on offense, while adding 32 tackles and one interception on defense. He also had a punt return for a touchdown and 700+ all-purpose yards.
After his junior season wrapped up, James was recognized as New Era Prep’s Underclassman of the Year, the Sun-Sentinel’s 5A-1A First Team Offense, and the Palm Beach Post’s All-County First Team.
The aforementioned accomplishments were more than enough to land James on the Palm Beach County summit.
“It feels good, knowing that hard work paid off,” said James, who also revealed that he recently took visits to UCF and Nebraska. “I’m just looking forward to playing now.”
St. Andrews head coach Jimmy Robertson spoke on the big night James had at the ESPN Top 63 Awards Ceremony.
“It’s great for Matt,” Robertson said. “I knew since he came on campus in the eighth grade, he was going to be something special. This night was about him and all the other athletes. I’m so proud of him and everything he’s accomplished so far. I’m excited to see what his future holds.”
As the second-ranked player in our area, Scott holds at least six offers, according to 247 Sports. They come from the likes of Pitt, Navy, Air Force, FAU, Georgia State, and UMass.
The Dwyer senior defensive back spoke on his distinction of being a certified top tier player in Palm Beach County.
“It feels good to know that people are noticing my work,” the 6-foot, 180-pound standout said. “I just continue to get better every day.”
Dubose has been garnering lots of respect for his game. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker spoke on his Top 10 honor.
“I came at No. 7, so I know I got a lot of work to go to get to No. 1,” said Dubose, who currently has one offer from Austin Peay, according to 247 Sports.
Going back to the Top 10 list, the Treasure Coast took six spots, including the top three. The No. 1 overall player was Vero Beach senior defensive back and Indiana verbal commit James Monds.
Here is the full Top 10 list of the ESPN Top 63.
1. DB James Monds (Vero Beach)
2. WR Amarion Brown (Martin County)
3. RB Eden James (Treasure Coast)
4. ATH Matthew James (St. Andrews)
5. DB Xavier Scott (Dwyer)
6. ATH Rodd Huntley (Fort Pierce Westwood)
7. LB Vincent Dubose (Palm Beach Gardens)
8. DE Gabriel Jacas (Fort Pierce Central)
9. DB/WR Javin Dames (Jensen Beach)
10. DB Marquis Lymon (Delray Beach Atlantic)
ESPN TOP 63 HALL OF FAME
In addition to the Top 10 reveal, ESPN West Palm made its 10th anniversary a special one by releasing its own Hall of Fame. They include the following greats over the past 10 years:
•RB Greg Bryant (Delray Beach American Heritage 2013 alum; Notre Dame/UAB)
•WR Johnnie Dixon (Dwyer 2014 alum; Ohio State; Dallas Cowboys)
•RB Travis Homer (Oxbridge Academy 2016 alum; Miami; Seattle Seahawks)
•QB Lamar Jackson (Boynton Beach 2015 alum; Louisville; Baltimore Ravens; Heisman Trophy winner in 2016 and NFL MVP in 2019)
•OL Kc McDermott (Palm Beach Central 2014 alum; Miami)
•DB Jimmy Moreland (Royal Palm Beach 2014 alum; James Madison; Washington Football Team)
•WR Ahmmon Richards (Wellington 2016 alum; Miami)
•DB Jamien Sherwood (Jensen Beach; Auburn; New York Jets)
•RB Devin “Motor” Singletary (Delray Beach American Heritage 2016 alum; FAU; Buffalo Bills)
•WR Tre’Quan Smith (Village Academy 2014 alum; UCF; New Orleans Saints)
NOTES: To be clear, most of the overall Top 63 comprised of players from Palm Beach County. Many schools were represented by at least one player, including the likes of the following:
•American Heritage (Delray Beach) – 2
•Atlantic (Delray Beach) – 3
•Benjamin – 1
•Boca Raton – 2
•Cardinal Newman – 2
•Dwyer – 2
•Glades Central – 3
•Glades Day – 1
•Inlet Grove – 1
•Jupiter – 1
•Jupiter Christian – 2
•King’s Academy – 2
•Pahokee – 2
•Palm Beach Central – 1
•Palm Beach Gardens – 3
•Palm Beach Lakes – 1
•Park Vista – 1
•St. Andrews – 1
•Seminole Ridge – 1
•Somerset Academy Canyons – 2
•Suncoast – 1
•Wellington – 2
•Total for Palm Beach County – 38
The Treasure Coast and Clewiston were brimming with several high quality selections as well.
•Centennial – 3
•Clewiston – 4
•Fort Pierce Westwood – 2
•Fort Pierce Central – 1
•Jensen Beach – 3
•John Carroll – 1
•Martin County – 4
•South Fork – 1
•Treasure Coast – 2
•Vero Beach – 4
•Total for Treasure Coast and Clewiston – 25
The ESPN TOP 63 Awards Ceremony was sponsored by HSS Florida, iThink Community Foundation, Land Rover Palm Beach, Shaw’s Sports Turf, Keiser University Seahawks, RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl, Florida Blue, Miami Dolphins, Team IP, and Jersey Mike’s Subs.
