The number 10 has been important at Palm Beach Central since head coach Kevin Thompson has been with the program. It’s been a number that has been assigned to some of his best players.

Prior to his junior season, that honor was given to Antoine Sharp and didn’t disappoint, recording 133 tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and an interception.

“He came along and made it his own,” Thompson said.

The athletic linebacker has made his mark during his time at the school and caught the attention of the coaching staff from the time he attended a youth camp in eighth grade. At the time, Sharp wanted to play tight end or quarterback, but the coaches understood his future was at linebacker.

He quickly adapted and became a force at the spot.

“When he got to the school everybody that saw him knew that the kid was going to be good. When you try to explain to kids what division one looks like they’re not around it so they don’t see it. But when Sharp walked into the room everybody knew he was division one,” he said.

A prototype of the modern off-ball linebacker, Sharp is an athletic and long option who runs well and excels at diagnosing plays and getting to the ball quickly.

“Great at diagnosing. Great film watcher. He understands that people just don’t block the Will linebacker they know who he is,” he said.

Thompson simply refers to Sharp as a high school professional, a player that is polished and has a great support system at home.

“He really works at his craft and his dad played for Louisville so he has that Division I type of pedigree,” he said. “He’s a stud.”

Away from the field, Sharp is a humble kid who simply doesn’t spend much time talking about himself. He carries strong academic marks and is very business-like. But once his helmet comes on you see the aggression that has made him a standout option with a long list of scholarship offers.

“His voice has gotten a lot louder too because it’s his team and he’s intense about people doing things the right way,” Thompson said.

Sharp is the second linebacker that Thompson is set to send to West Virginia behind his teammate Cameron Dwyer and Thompson believes it simply came down to how the coaching staff presented the program and developed an individualized plan for both.

The two linebackers have very different styles with Dwyer being a former defensive back who now plays there, while Sharp is born and bred for the position but both play off each other well.

And now Thompson realizes he’s going to have to start planning some trips to Morgantown.

“Now I got to go get a plane ticket and apparently they might play him early,” he said.