Vote Now: Who is the 2022-2023 Florida’s Male Athlete of the Year?

Pick from the 13 candidates we selected to be the 2022-2023 Florida Male Athlete of the Year

It was quite the year in high school sports down in the Sunshine State. From football to baseball to basketball, plenty of male athletes had tremendous seasons across the board. 

Now, we want to hear from you: Who was the best of the best? 

Vote in the poll and let us know who you think was the top Florida Male Athlete of the Year in 2022-2023. 

This year’s voting will conclude Tuesday, August 15, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. 

Descriptions of each player are below the poll. 

Cedrick Bailey, Chaminade-Madonna (football)

One of the most prolific statistical performances for a season came from Bailey, who led the Lions to the Class 1M state championship. Bailey put up some video game-like numbers, throwing for over 3,300 yards and 45 touchdowns to just five picks. Bailey has committed to NC State. 

Jason Patterson, Sneads (football)

The Sneads running back was a first-team SBLive All-State selection for the 2022 season and has seen the offers begin to roll in heading into his senior campaign. In 2022, Patterson rushed for 2,721 yards and scored 35 touchdowns for the Pirates. His rushing statistics were the best in the Sunshine State. 

Rueben Bain, Miami Central (football)

Bain had 57 tackles, 39 of those went for a loss and 29 sacks. Those stats are also misleading for Bain because the defensive end didn’t play the entirety of games that got out of hand. Imagine if he played a full four quarters every week and Bain’s numbers would be that much more impressive. Bain is signed with the University of Miami (FL).  

Blake Boda, Cocoa (football)

Boda came to Cocoa via transfer from Seabreeze in the offseason and the senior had himself a season to remember. The southpaw completed 270-of-414 passes for 4,028 yards, 49 touchdowns and also rushed for over 200 and added five scores. Boda led the Tigers to the Class 2S state championship . 

CJ Ingram, Hawthorne (football/basketball)

It wasn’t just on the gridiron where Ingram was a standout, but it was on the hardwood as well for the Hornets. Helping lead Hawthorne to the Class 1R state championship as the team’s quarterback and threw for 1,016 yards, seven touchdowns and rushed for another 504 with 14 scores. For the basketball team, Ingram was the team’s top player and averaged 21.6 points per game along with 8.3 rebounds a contest. 

Cameron Boozer, Columbus (basketball)

The 6-foot-9, 215 pound forward was a highlight reel after nearly every single game and he has the statistics to back him up. Boozer averaged 21.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and two blocks per game. With offers from some of the top college programs around the country like Duke, Miami (FL), Michigan, this season showed there’s no wonder Boozer is already rated a 5-star player according to 247Sports. He was a vital piece to Columbus winning the Class 7A state championship. 

Jizzle James, Olympia (basketball)

The argument obviously is there that James was one of the Sunshine State most exciting, exhilarating players to watch on any given night during the season. His top performance of the season came back on Jan. 16 in a 92-84 victory over Oak Ridge when James went completely berserk. The guard scored 45 points and added four rebounds, two assists. Having played 92 games on the varsity level, James certainly had himself a strong final campaign with the Titans. The senior averaged 22.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals a contest. 

Christian Rodriguez, Majory Stoneman Douglas (baseball)

The University of Florida commitment will likely be a draftee when Major League Baseball’s 2023 draft rolls around. For his senior campaign, Rodriguez was one of the dominant pitchers in the country. The pitcher went 12-0 with a 0.69 earned run average and 117 strikeouts in helping lead the Eagles to the Class 7A state championship. 

Caden McDonald, Sickles (baseball)

Get you someone who can do it on the mound and at the plate. That’s what McDonald brought to the Gryphons on a nightly basis as he provided a pop at the plate and shutdown pitching on the mound. The University of Florida commit went 11-1 on the mound with a stellar 0.87 ERA and 97 strikeouts. McDonald at the plate belted 12 home runs, drove in 33 RBI’s and batted .383. 

Cooper Jones, North Marion (baseball)

When talking about the state’s top power hitter on the baseball diamond, Jones was the leader when it came to the long ball. Being a major piece to the Colts’ Class 4A state championship team, Jones batted a cool .381 at the plate with a state-leading 14 home runs, 33 RBI’s, 37 hits, 36 runs, 20 walks and seven doubles. 

Jesus Cruz, Crescent City (soccer)

Averaging two goals a game is an eye-popping statistic for any player. Cruz through 21 games played for the Raiders was the state’s most dangerous attacker on the pitch. The senior forward scored a state-leading 41 goals, good for an average of two a game, 16 assists and 98 points total. 

Ethan Schlam, NSU University (lacrosse)

Though the Sharks record wise may have not been the state’s top club, Schlam proved on a weekly basis he was assuredly one of Florida tops in lacrosse. Schlam led the state in goals by a good margin and ended with 112 (6.6 per game average), 31 assists for a total of 143 points. 

Patrick Koon, Leon (cross country) 

Awards just kept swooping in for the Leon runner throughout the school year. Koon was named the Gatorade Florida Boys Cross Country Player of the Year and was a finalist for the national Player of the Year honors as well. Koon won a state championship for the second straight season and clocked running the second-fastest 5k in state history at the Southern Showcase, with a time of 14:43.09, a personal best. 

Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @Andy_Villamarzo.