Wideout Claude enjoys Duke trip
Last Friday, Hialeah (Fla.) Champagnat Catholic wide receiver Steven Claude helped lead his team to the school's first ever playoff victory. On Saturday, he traveled to Durham for the Duke-Miami contest.
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The Blue Devils have been high on his list since he picked up a verbal offer from assistant coach Scott Montgomery. Claude had the Hurricanes game circled on his calendar as the one he wanted to attend at Wallace-Wade Stadium.
"The trip to Durham was great," Claude said. "The atmosphere and fans were intense. I predicted Duke would win over Miami. It felt great when I came home on Monday and I bragged to Travonte Valentine about it."
Claude and Valentine are a big reason the Lions are in the regional finals of the Class 2A playoffs. However, the 6-foot, 178-pound flanker admitted it was fun to tease his teammate this week in school.
Duke's offense scored 48 points against Miami and gained 543 yards of offense, including 358 on the ground.
"The offense is amazing," Claude said. "The two-quarterback system works perfectly and I like how they use every receiver and running back to win."
One player Claude kept his eye on during the game was Jamison Crowder. Crowder finished the game with six receptions for 53 yards and handled kick return duties.
"Crowder may be short, but he is a man amongst boys out there," Claude said.
Montgomery has built a good relationship with Claude and the trip was another opportunity for the two to bond.
"Coach Montgomery is the coolest coach you can meet," Claude said. "He laughs and plays around when it's necessary, but when it's time to work its time to work. I wasn't close to committing because I know I have to go to other places and meet other coaches, but Duke will be extremely hard to compare."
Kynon Codrington is a Southeast Region football recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.
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