Pure Domination

Antwan Raymond may have had the best 3-year stretch of any football player from Québec. From 2021 to 2023, encompassing two years in Québec and one in the States, Antwan has been simply unstoppable.

In 2021, his team dominated every opponent they faced in the Québec high school Juvenile (Juvy) Division 3 league. The Juvy leagues are equivalent to varsity football leagues in the United States, with the distinction that the Juvy leagues in Québec solely comprise players in grades 10 and 11. Antwan played a pivotal role in guiding his team to victory in the Division 3 provincial championship (equivalent to a state championship) in commanding fashion. His dominance was akin to a man playing amongst boys.

Prior to his 2022 campaign with his high school team, Antwan participated in the Football Canada Cup, an under-18 tournament where Canadian provinces assemble their top high school football players to compete for a week to determine a champion. Québec fell short, a rare feat, but Antwan was undoubtedly the standout player in the tournament. He effortlessly found openings, displayed Barry Sanders-like elusiveness, and was exceedingly difficult to bring down due to his above-average dynamism. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing.

His high school team, the Dalbé-Viau Aigles d’Or (Golden Eagles), is a powerhouse program in Québec. For reasons I do not entirely comprehend, the program is not accorded such recognition by the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (Québec Student Sports Association). Therefore, after dominating Division 3 in 2021, the program moved up to Division 2 in 2022. Despite not securing blowout victories like in 2021, experiencing some losses, and winning tight games, the team once again clinched the provincial championship. Antwan was honored as the MVP of both the championship game and the season. He once again exhibited elite quickness, a refusal to go down on initial, second, and sometimes even third contact, and displayed a vision that surpasses his years.

During the summer of 2023, after graduating from high school in Québec, Antwan announced that he would take his talents to Florida. He opted for the now-defunct program Clearwater Academy International. At that time, Clearwater was a major program in Florida, situated in Tampa Bay, where the team faced off against the toughest competition in arguably the best state for high school football in America. Coached by Jesse Chinchar, a man I hold in high regard for his exceptional care for his players, Antwan began to dominate the summer like he did in 2022. This time, he showcased his incredible strength on social media, subsequently earning the MVP title at the Under Armour Next Camps Series in Florida as the top running back there. Then came the season.

In 10 games, Antwan rushed for 1884 yards on 233 carries, averaging an impressive 8.1 yards per carry and 188.4 yards per game. The young talent scored 22 touchdowns, all in his inaugural year of playing football in America. He commenced the season by rushing for 241 yards against Venice, followed by 279 yards the subsequent week against Columbus, two outstanding programs in Florida. AR is undeniably a standout player, one of my favorite high school football players.

The 5’11”/200 lbs running back had received over 20 offers from Power 4 and Group of 5 universities. On April 17, 2024, at his alma mater, Dalbé-Viau High School in Montréal, and after narrowing down his choices to six programs-South Florida, South Carolina, Rutgers, West Virginia, Miami, and Mississippi State-Antwan chose Rutgers. Since Clearwater ceased operations, the top running back for the class of 2025 decided to reclassify to the 2024 class and commit to a school close to home, making it easier for his family, particularly his mother, to visit him. One thing is certain: based on the last three years, we know that Antwan will have an incredible summer and a great start to his collegiate career, and I eagerly anticipate that.

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