Former Pirate contributes to Marshall's success

Two years removed from high school, Knowledge McDaniel is making the most of his opportunities at Marshall. 

The former Braden River High running back/wide receiver repeatedly showcased his talent for the Pirates, and he entered his senior season of high school with offers from Power 5 schools like Georgia, Ohio State and Missouri. He decided not to commit to any of them early, and then, following an investigation into Braden River football, the Florida High School Athletic Association ruled that McDaniel received impermissible benefits by staying with the family of teammate Brett Thoma, whose father, Todd Thoma, was the president of the Braden River booster club.

The initial ruling called for a season-long suspension, which was appealed down to five games after a strange process. McDaniel played in seven games as a senior, finishing with 436 receiving yards, 163 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns, and he signed with Marshall after communication with other schools fell off. At the time, both McDaniel and Pirates Coach Curt Bradley said it was impossible to know whether the suspension or the failure to commit early was the cause of the lack of communication from bigger schools. 

Now McDaniel, a sophomore, sees being at Marshall as a blessing. The Thundering Herd are 7-1 and have been ranked as high as No. 15 in the Associated Press poll. While McDaniel isn't a starter, he has contributed at running back, garnering 25 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown. 

"[This season] I have been feeling much more in tune with the program and how the offense is wanting to be run," McDaniel said. "I have learned more details about defenses and fronts, how to be patient in certain situations if pulling guards are coming, things like that.

"We're a tight locker room. We all have energy at practice, offense and defense. We talk a little smack but no one gets too deep in it. It just keeps practice fun. When it is game time, you see the results. We're flying all over the field."

McDaniel is not the only Braden River High alumnus making an impact at the college level — not even the only running back. At South Carolina, former Pirates running back Deshaun Fenwick is the team's No. 2 rusher. Fenwick, a sophomore, has 54 rushes for 297 yards and a touchdown. He also has 14 catches for 108 yards. At South Florida, another former Pirate, Brian Battie, has been the bright spot of a tough season for the winless Bulls. Battie, a freshman, has 46 carries for 332 yards and a touchdown, but 38 of those 46 carries have come in the last three weeks. Against UCF on Nov. 27, Battie had his first career 100-yard game. 

On the hardwood, former Lakewood Ranch High girls basketball player LaDazhia Williams made her debut at Missouri last month after transferring from South Carolina. Williams, a 6-foot-4 junior forward, had 18 points and five rebounds Nov. 27 in the Tigers' win against North Alabama. As of Dec. 4, it is the only game Missouri has played thus far, but it is a good start in a new place for Williams. 

McDaniel said seeing many "941" area athletes succeed give himself a confidence boost. 

"These are people I grew up with and played football with," McDaniel said. "That makes me want to grind harder so when my opportunities come, I can shine and represent [the area] like I'm supposed to represent it."