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Highlands Today

AP's Fred Mixon Kept His Head High Through Tough Losses

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Avon Park’s Fred Mixon was the heart and soul of a Red Devil defense this season that struggled at times, but never folded.

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By Brian Gjurgevich | Highlands Today

Published: January 18, 2008

AVON PARK — Fred Mixon always has the last word in at least one family argument: "10-7."

The final score of the Avon Park football team's stunning defeat of Hardee this past season is a bragging right Mixon's 2007 Red Devils have over a decade-full of AP teams before them, a fact Mixon doesn't mind pulling out at the dinner table.

"It's amazing, all the people who came before me, who never beat Hardee," Mixon said. "I've got older cousins, so it's nice to just say: 'Ya'al couldn't do it.' "

The Red Devil win over the Wildcats was more than the highlight of the team's season, it turned out to be the highwater mark for a AP defense that would ultimately give way when the Devil offense struggled to keep themselves on the field.

But with Mixon — a 5-foot-10, 230-pound run-stopping lineman — at the helm, the unit bravely played through the final seven losses, and never lost hope.

"We lost those games, but nobody quit," Mixon said. "We all worked so hard in the offseason, in the weight room, and we didn't want all that work to be in vein.

"We were taught to never quit, so why would we start now?"

It's no wonder former Avon Park coach Earnest Perkins called Mixon "the heart and soul" of his defense.

"Win, lose or draw, Fred gave everything he had," Perkins said. "He was the unqualified leader of the defense and was looked up to by many of the players. His sack totals don't tell the story of how effective he was."

For his leadership of the Avon Park defense through a tumultuous season, Mixon has been named the Highlands Today's All-Heartland defensive player of the year in a tight vote between a talented field of players.

Mixon played on both sides of the ball for AP, manning defensive end and guard positions. But for the Avon Park senior and National Honor Society member, defense has always been his favorite side of the ball.

"On defense, they're coming at you," said Mixon, a three-year varsity member. "You're delivering the blow, and not just waiting for it."

Leadership, whether its on the gridiron, in the classroom (Mixon carries a 3.4 GPA) or as a member of the Student Consultative Committee to the Superintendent, is also something Mixon doesn't shy away from.

"I tried to do it more by example, instead of just being a mouthpiece," said Mixon, who noted he's looking at a few options for school, including Florida A&M. "I put academics first and I had dedication and faith — that's what I hope to leave behind."

The Team

Kyle Long, senior, defensive end, Sebring: Blue Streak coach Jared Hamlin calls Long's presence on the football field "unbelievable."
And that term is hardly foreign for the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Long, who led Sebring in sacks and tackles for loss, all while playing on the protection-heavy strong side.
"He shut down that side," Hamlin said. "We're really going to miss him."
Hamlin said Long's best game is tough to pick, but performances against Avon Park and Port Charlotte certainly stand out.
"He had 15 tackles against Port Charlotte and was just all over the field," Hamlin said. "He was in the backfield all night long."

Willie English, senior, linebacker, Avon Park: Injuries piled up on this 5-foot-10 linebacker, but his contribution to the defense never wavered.
English's quiet demeanor off the field was the polar opposite of this bundle of fury as the main run-stuffer in AP's defense, forcing opposing offensive coordinators to route their runners to the outside, away from English.
"He plugged the middle for us," Perkins said. "He had so many injuries this season and played through most of them, which was impressive."

Rashaad Brown, senior, linebacker, Lake Placid: Brown led the Green Dragons in tackles despite missing three games this season.
LP's 6-foot, 220-pound homecoming king, however, made his presence felt when he returned on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball, where he was one of the Dragons' most feared LBs and short-yardage running backs.
Coach Tim Grant said he's one of his team's best readers of offense, and that Brown could always be counted on to get his teammates fired up.
"The big thing about Rashaad is that he was always keeping guys involved," Grant said. "When guys got down, he'd get them back up."

Troy Knight, senior, defensive tackle, Avon Park: Consistency best describes Knight, who, along with Mixon, led the Red Devil pass rush with his quickness and football IQ.
A quiet guy on and off the field, Knight had one of his best games against Hardee with four solo tackles and applying pressure to the 'Cats offense in the Red Devils lone win in '07.

Travalier Sholtz, junior, defensive tackle, Lake Placid: Sholtz's game rose to a whole new level this season after he attended a camp in Orlando over the summer and won the "King of the Boards" competition against some stiff competition on top of a stiff 2x4 plank.
"When we saw him pushing around kids from 5A schools," Grant said, "we knew we needed him on the offensive side of the ball."
Sholtz, a 6-foot-1, 290-pound lineman, played both sides of the ball with proficiency, coming on strong toward the end of the season for the Green Dragons and solidifying a leadership role for next season.
"He's not a quitter, and that's what I admire about him the most," Grant said. "He brings a lot of guys with him, and that's going to be big for us next year."

Brannen Dorman, senior, linebacker, Sebring: The Blue Streaks' No. 2 tackler with 120 on the year, Dorman started as a sophomore and never relinquished his role as Sebring's toughest run-defender.
"If you run at him," Hamlin said, "you weren't running for long."
Hamlin said Dorman's knowledge of the game is vast, and besides filling holes on defense, Dorman was keen at filling his teammates with determination.
"His leadership was there the whole year," Hamlin said. "He's the one who kept things going for us. When things weren't good, he was there making it better, his work ethic and everything else — it's not just talk, it's how he worked."

Johnathan Simons, senior, linebacker, Lake Placid: Simons' high-ankle sprain sidelined him for multiple games this season, but when he was on the field, the crafty linebacker was a force to be reckoned with on the Green Dragon defense.
"He's a tough little guy," said Grant about his 5-foot-8, 178-pounder. "He always seemed to be around the ball, and he did whatever you asked him to do."

James Bland, sophomore, linebacker, Avon Park: The future of Red Devil football is bright, as long as this 5-foot-10 bundle of fury will be in the defensive backfield. Bland's specialty was on rush defense, but Perkins notes that he's just scratched the surface of his potential.
"He was one of the most consistent members of our defense," Perkins said. "His improved knowledge of the game was impressive and he'll only get bigger and better.
"He's ready to explode."

Kenny Daniels, junior, linebacker, Sebring: With 138 tackles on the season, Daniels did more than rack up the stats for the Streaks this season.
He racked up a few bell-rings.
"When he gets there, he gets there with a load," Hamlin said. "He brings it."
Hamlin said Daniels reads plays well and runs from sideline to sideline with impact speed, and that it always seemed, when the dust settled, No. 4 was there.
"He'd be in on every tackle," Hamlin said. "No doubt, we'll be happy to have him back."

Josh Hickey, senior, linebacker, Lake Placid: Hickey is an impact player defined, making the best of his time on the field with two multiple-interception games.
A late comer to the team who dealt with a suspension midway through the season, Hickey returned to the lineup an made his presence known.
"In his first game back, he had two picks and 10 or 12 tackles," Grant said. "He's turned himself into a prospect."

J.C. Howard, junior, defensive back, Sebring: Sebring's best cover defender, Howard had four interceptions in his first three games before opposing defenses realized that throwing the ball toward No. 9 could spell trouble.
"He's very savvy," Hamlin said. "He knows how to bait the quarterback and set him up. He had a couple big picks or tips in the red zone, and those are game-changing plays."
Howard finished with seven picks on the year.
"He would've had more," Hamlin said, "but everyone stopped throwing to him."

Ronnie Brassell, senior, defensive back, Sebring: The most versatile player on the Sebring defense, Brassell finished the season with four picks and a reputation as one of the most physical players in the district.
"You can put him anywhere, and he'll bring it," Hamlin said. "He could play the run or the pass, he forced five fumbles on the year and was very adept at stopping the ball."
At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Brassell was known to pack a punch.
"He's agile enough to play corner but thick enough to play safety, and that's rare," Hamlin said. "We needed our safeties to be physical, and Ronnie could strike you."

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