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Sharks' Swider has record-setting day
By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR
Brett Swider knew he was in for a good day when his Spanish River team faced off against John I. Leonard last week.
He just didn’t know it would turn out to be the performance of a lifetime.
Swider, a senior running back for the Sharks, set a Palm Beach County record with 392 rushing yards on 32 carries, and he scored six touchdowns as his Sharks snapped a 14-game losing streak with a 52-37 win over John I. Leonard.
Spanish River coach Perry Schneider has been in the profession for 30 years and has coached the liked of former N.C. State star Tremaine Hall, and he said, “As an individual performance, I’ve never had anybody run for more yards than this.”
Swider said he didn’t even know he had the record until he read about it in the paper the next day.
“I thought I had the school record, I didn’t know I had the county record,” he said. “That was a nice feeling.”
Swider broke the previous mark of 373 yards, set by Palm Beach Gardens’ Emmanuel Cook against Atlantic High three years ago.
Swider and Schneider both knew something big was brewing when Swider broke his first run from scrimmage for a 65-yard TD. He then added scoring runs of 60, 69, 6, 2 and 1 yard.
A big performance hasn’t been unique for Swider, who led the county with over 1,000 yards and 12 TDs in 2007.
“He did this all year last year,” Schneider said. “We were 0-10, and no one noticed. The colleges did notice though.”
Swider said he received e-mails from two schools the following day, and he is currently being looked at by Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Miami and Ohio University.
“He’s got legit speed,” Schneider said.
Schneider, who is in his second year at Spanish River, said he knew what he had in Swider the first time he saw him take the field.
“Good football players have the same pedigree,” he said. “They all put the time in, and they all care.”
Swider also has the genes, as his father starred at Wake Forest.
But he wasn’t allowed to play football until his freshman year in high school. Before that, Swider played soccer, ran track, and played baseball.
While Swider is breaking records at running back, Schneider sees his future at the position his former Deerfield player Hall starred at.
“He could end up being a receiver in college,” Schneider said. “A slot guy, like a (Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver) Davone Bess. He’s a good receiver.”
Swider is also a good student who has a high grade point average and a 1200 SAT score.
True to his unselfish nature, he cared more about the win than the record.
“We needed it,” he said. “Cause now we’ve got a bunch of weeks where we can win some games.”
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