- May 3, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
Seabreeze athlete Chandler Mitzo (left) signed with FIU where he will throw the javelin and be a walk-on for the football team. Seabreeze athlete Landon Smith (right) signed with Aurora University where he will be a wide receiver on the football team. Courtesy photo
Chandler Mitzo (left) and Landon Smith (right) pose with their football coach Lester Davis (center) at their college signing event held in the Seabreeze auditorium. Courtesy photo
Seabreeze athlete Chandler Mitzo (center) poses with his dad Beau Sweigart (left) and his mom Sarah Sweigart at the college signing event held in the Seabreeze auditorium. Courtesy photo
Seabreeze wide receiver Landon Smith (center) stands with parents Marissa Smith (left) and Wayne Smith at the commitment letter signing held at the Seabreeze auditorium. Courtesy photo
Seabreeze wide receiver Landon Smith (8) makes a catch in the game against the Pine Ridge Panthers. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze track and field athlete Chandler Mitzo will be heading to Florida International University in fall to throw the javelin and be a walk-on for the Panthers football team. Photo by Michele Meyers
Touchdown for Seabreeze wide receiver Landon Smith (8) in the game against the Pine Ridge Panthers. Photo by Michele Meyers
Chandler Mitzo (left) and Landon Smith (right) pose with Seabreeze Principal Tucker Harris at their college signing event held in the Seabreeze auditorium. Courtesy photo
Touchdown for Seabreeze wide receiver Landon Smith (8) in the game against the Pine Ridge Panthers. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze athlete Chandler Mitzo said he would like to be one of the top javelin throwers in the NCAA and compete in the Olympics. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze wide receiver Landon Smith, surrounded by his family, holds his letter of intent to play football at Aurora University. Courtesy photo
Landon Smith (center) poses with his family — Logan Smith, Marissa Smith, Wayne Smith and Sebastian Smith — at the college signing ceremony held in the Seabreeze auditorium. Courtesy photo
Seabreeze quarterback Hayden Hayes (right) gifted wide receiver Landon Smith (left) his favorite game ball after writing Smith's senior season statistics on it. Hayes has used the ball so much, it is falling apart. Courtesy photo
Seabreeze quarterback Hayden Hayes (right) gifted wide receiver Landon Smith (left) his favorite game ball after writing Smith's senior season statistics on it. Hayes has used the ball so much, it is falling apart. Courtesy photo
Lester Davis’ last act as the Seabreeze head football coach was to hold a college signing on Tuesday, April 16, for two of his players — Chandler Mitzo and Landon Smith.
Mitzo heads to Division I Florida International University to throw the javelin on the Panthers’ track and field team, and he will walk on to play football. Smith, a wide receiver, chose Division III Aurora University in Illinois after making a perfunctory visit to the school.
“(In my time at Seabreeze) I’m most proud of the mind-state of these kids,” Davis said. “I feel like they took on some of my moxie — my thought process. They were as dedicated as I was. We started to think alike. I’m most proud of the relationships I built with my players.”
Davis said both players will be great representatives of the Sandcrabs.
“Congratulations to both of these young men,” he said. “I love them and will continue to pray for them.”
Smith said he went with his family to Illinois to check out two other colleges and decided to stop at Aurora because it was on his way. Logistically, it made sense to him. He had 15 to 17 offers and was not considering the private school as his future home.
Aurora football coach Don Beebe welcomed the Smith family into his office even though the visit was not scheduled. Instead of talking football film and schemes, Beebe, a former NFL wide receiver, talked about God and Smith’s faith.
Beebe asked him what his favorite Bible verse is and Smith replied Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Smith said he felt an instant connection.
(In my time at Seabreeze) I’m most proud of the mind-state of these kids. I feel like they took on some of my moxie — my thought process. They were as dedicated as I was. We started to think alike. I’m most proud of the relationships I built with my players.
— LESTER DAVIS, former Seabreeze football coach
“He (Beebe) was trying to get to know more of the person I am and the person he was bringing into this program and what I can offer from my character side,” Smith said. “He already knows what I can bring as a football player.”
Beebe was a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills and the Green Bay Packers. He won a Super Bowl with the Packers in 1997. The Packers just happen to be Smith’s favorite NFL team. He said everything fell into place for him at Aurora.
Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships. Smith has maintained above a 3.5 GPA all four years at Seabreeze. This qualified him to apply for Aurora’s Dunham Scholarship which is the school's honors program. One hundred fifty students apply for the scholarship with 100 selected to debate during a Zoom call. Smith was one of six chosen for the scholarship which cut his tuition down to $8,000 from the approximately $46,000 annual fee.
“From the moment I stepped on campus, Landon Smith has been the ideal leader and student-athlete,” Davis said. “He will be an immediate asset to the school and team. I am so happy for this young man as I can’t think of anyone that deserves this opportunity more.”
Both Smith and Mitzo maintained a 4.0 GPA their senior year. Smith plans on taking advantage of Aurora’s plus-one program which will allow him to get his master's in business administration in five years instead of six via a sports management program.
Mitzo plans to major in biomedical sciences at FIU.
Mitzo was Deltona’s quarterback as a junior. He passed for 361 yards in 2022. Following Deltona coach Jeff Smothers' resignation, he transferred to Seabreeze where his former coach Blake Hillman was the offensive coordinator and running backs coach.
“It was definitely hard work,” Mitzo said. “I’ve always been known for having sneaky athleticism. Once I got to Seabreeze, I realized these coaches could use it and we could use it in our offense. After spring, I told the coaches I just wanted to play. They said, “that’s good” and had me play tons of positions.”
He played H-back and wide receiver, and he punted. He said his favorite position was H-back where enjoyed hitting and getting a lot of opportunities to touch the ball.
“Chandler Mitzo took a chance and came to Seabreeze,” Davis said. “This guy is tough as nails which he showed in our Red and White game last spring. He will tackle this next challenge like all the others before — head on.”
He transferred after his junior football season and joined the Sandcrabs' track team last spring. He won the District 6-3A javelin title and placed third at the Class 3A state championships. His senior postseason begins on April 26 with the district meet at East River High School.
“I have made a lot of friends on the Seabreeze track team,” Mitzo said. “I’ve even got people to start doing javelin (including Landon's younger brother Logan Smith).
“(Logan) is only a sophomore so his junior and senior year I won’t be able to help him at all,” Mitzo lamented. “He’s pretty good.”
Part of Mitzo's decision to go to FIU was based on his connections at the university. Fellow thrower and friend Vincent Jackson is graduating from Ponte Vedra High School and will attend FIU in the fall with Mitzo.
“I felt like going to a school where I knew people and already knowing people on the track team would benefit me a lot,” Mitzo said. “The facilities were really nice and the coach welcomed me with open arms. I just love the school.”
