High School

SBLive’s 2023 all-state Florida high school football award winners: Chaminade-Madonna's Jeremiah Smith is player of the year

SBLive Sports Florida releases its high school football award winners for the 2023 season

Andy Villamarzo

There were first-time state champions, repeat winners - and some of the craziest games you will ever seen played anywhere on a football field this fall.

And now it is time for SBLive Sports Florida to release its individual award winners, including the all-classification player and coach of the year honorees, as well as the ones in each classification. 

Editors Note: All high school football award winners will not be listed on the all-state teams with their award winning selections.

SBLIVE’S 2023 ALL-STATE INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS

Player of the year: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Chaminade-Madonna, Sr.

Clearwater Central Catholic vs. Chaminade-Madonna FHSAA 1M Final December 7, 2023 Photo-Matt Christopher97

When you thought of the best player in high school football out of the Sunshine State, it had to be difficult to not think immediately about Chaminade-Madonna's Jeremiah Smith. 

The Ohio State signee electrified seemingly every single time he stepped out on a football field and anytime he touched the ball, he was a threat to score against opposing defenses. 

Smith ended the 2023 season with 90 receptions for 1,389 yards and 19 touchdowns. The senior improved on his own numbers from a year ago, with 27 more catches and 291 yards. 

En route to helping lead the Lions to the Class 1M state championship, Smith had one of his most memorable performances in a 61-21 victory against Bergen Catholic (New Jersey). Smith went berserk by hauling in 17 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns.  

Adding to his awards, Smith received the prestigious Nat Moore Trophy given to the best player out of South Florida. When it comes to the hotbed of talent, it's arguably the best in the country and Smith looked the part every Friday night. 

Offensive player of the year: Noah Grubbs, QB, Lake Mary, So.

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If not for some key injuries to some of Grubbs' top wide receivers, we could be talking about a season in which the sophomore throws for 50-plus touchdowns. 

The sophomore sensation was easily on his way for a record-breaking season, which could easily happen in the future for Grubbs. No offensive player had a direct hand in more touchdowns with an offense than any other skill this past 2023 season. 

Grubbs finished the 2023 campaign by completing 208-of-354 passes for 3,670 yards, 49 touchdowns and also accounted for 4 rushing scores. Finishing the season with a hand in 53 touchdowns led all players out of the Sunshine State and the scary part of opposing defensive coordinators is he has two more seasons to go. 

Defensive player of the year: Michael McClenton, LB, Ocoee, Sr.

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There is plenty of great defenders all across the Sunshine State, but none did quite what the Knights' hybrid accomplished in 2023. 

Playing in a 10-game season, with Ocoee not making the postseason, the linebacker/defensive end posted statistics that couldn't be touched by anyone else around the state. 

The 6-foot-1, 227-pound sophomore was literally everywhere on the field, tallying a ridiculous 202 total tackles, with 137 of those coming solo. In causing mass disruption to opposing backfields on a weekly basis, McClenton collected 45 tackles for a loss, 31 sacks, scooped up three fumbles and blocked a field goal attempt. 

This was just McClenton's sophomore season. Let those numbers and everything sink in, because he's got two more years. 

Two-way player of the year: Myles Graham, RB/LB, Buchholz, Sr.

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The future Florida Gator was a force on both sides of the ball for the Class 4S state semifinalist Bobcats. 

Whether first-year head coach Chuck Bell needed Graham to step up and lead the defense to a crucial stop or be the battering ram in the redzone for a touchdown, the senior could always be counted on. 

Playing at a high level on both sides of the football can be a very difficult task for a high schooler, but Graham made it look sometimes easy for 13-1 Buchholz. 

Graham's impact on defense, which is where he will be playing on the next level, is where opponents felt him the most. The senior through 14 games tallied 82 tackles, nine for loss, three sacks and broke up five passes. 

On the offensive side of the ball, Graham took after his father, former NFL'er Ernest Graham, when it came to running style. As a bruising tailback, Graham rushed for 600 yards on 62 carries and scored a team-high 17 touchdowns. 

Breakout player of the year: Shawn Simeon, RB, Naples, Jr.

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Sitting behind a couple now Power Five running backs must do wonders and it certainly did for Simeon. 

Simeon was a sophomore on varsity in 2022, playing behind tailbacks like Kendrick Raphael (now at NC State) and Isaiah Augustave (now at Arkansas), and didn't get to see the backfield much, 

Biding his time and rushing for a mere 71 yards, you just knew Simeon would be poised for some kind of breakout season. In his junior season of 2023, the running back made sure everyone knew his name. 

The running back finished the season rushing for an impressive 2,093 yards on 186 attempts and scored 30 touchdowns. Simeon's performance that really put him on the map came in a 63-33 region semifinal victory over Port Charlotte. 

The Naples' workhorse back carried them into the region finals, carrying the rock 30 times for 387 yards and seven touchdowns, which the latter two and now school records. 

Newcomer player of the year: Brady Hart, QB, Cocoa, So.

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Following up last year's SBLive Florida Player of the Year was never going to be an easy feat. Blake Boda is always going to be one of one when it came to his meaning at Cocoa. 

Hart came pretty dang close to equally at the very least Boda's production through the passing game for the Tigers. 

The first-year starter came onto the scene with extremely high expectations and met each and every one of them along the way to a Class 2S state championship. 

The sophomore sensation finished the 2023 season by completing 288-of-437 passes for 3,759 yards and 41 touchdowns. Hart's best performance of the season came in a 37-36 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas in which the sophomore went off against the mighty Raiders of Fort Lauderdale. 

Hart ended the controversial game completing 35-of-50 passes for 493 yards and five touchdowns. The sky is the limit for Hart moving forward as he will have his pick of the Power Five litter when it's all said and done. 

Comeback player of the year: Luke Knight, QB, Wiregrass Ranch, Sr. 

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Wait, another Pasco County product wins 'Comeback Player of the Year?'

Yeah, yeah. We know what you're thinking on this selection, but let's walk you through the thought process here so it makes sense in the end. 

So rewind back to right after the 2021 season, Knight (2021 stats: 2,511 yards, 30 touchdowns) led the Jesuit Tigers to the Class 5A state championship and it looked like the quarterback's future would remain right off of Himes Avenue. 

Nope. 

Knight ends up three weeks into the 2022 season leaving Jesuit and moving down to Merritt Island, playing with the Mustangs for a season. Now yes, he led the Mustangs to the playoffs, but it wasn't quite the campaign Knight had when he was at Jesuit. Knight finished with 1,852 yards and 11 touchdowns at Merritt Island. 

After the 2022 season, Knight relocated back to his roots in the Wesley Chapel-area and transferred to Wiregrass Ranch, which was a homecoming of sorts. 

It was history from there in the 2023 season for Knight as he set multiple Pasco County records for passing yards (3,872) and touchdowns (43) in leading the Bulls to a district championship and a playoff win in Class 4S. 

Coach of the year: Dominick Ciao, Berkeley Prep

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Photo courtesy of Berkeley Prep Football

Just about no one could have ever predicted the kind of fairy tale ending the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers ended up having in 2023 under the direction of Ciao. 

The longtime Tampa Bay area head coach had been in search of an elusive state championship for quite some time, between coaching at Berkeley Prep and Jesuit. Ciao had the talent pieces and pressed the right buttons when he needed to in a season he and the Buccaneers will never forget. 

Ciao led the Buccaneers to a stunning 28-20 victory over nationally-ranked Miami Norland, giving the head coach the long desired state title he had been in search of. Something more, Ciao did it his way. 

No gimmicks on offense. Didn't need to run a sexy spread offense and throw the ball around the run. Good ole run it down your throat style and a couple talented running backs in Dallas Golden and Joseph Troupe did the trick for Ciao's Buccaneers. 

Oh and don't worry, though Ciao's at the age of 71 years young, he's not thinking about going anywhere anytime soon. The head coach plans to be back and that means they could very well make a run at repeating as state champions under his watch. Stay tuned.  

PLAYER AND COACH OF THE YEAR IN EACH CLASSIFICATION

Class 4M

Player of the year: Tiant Wyche, RB, Mandarin

Coach of the year: Dave Dunn, Columbus

Class 3M

Player of the year: Joshua Townsend, QB, Homestead

Coach of the year: Roger Harriott, St. Thomas Aquinas

Class 2M

Player of the year: Dallas Golden, ATH, Berkeley Prep

Coach of the year: Daryle Heidelberg, Miami Norland 

Class 1M

Player of the year: Cedrick Bailey, QB, Chaminade-Madonna

Coach of the year: Dameon Jones, Chaminade-Madonna

Class 4S

Player of the year: Malik Morris, ATH, Lakeland

Coach of the year: Marvin Frazier, Lakeland

Class 3S

Player of the year: Dennis Murray Jr., QB, Mainland

Coach of the year: Travis Roland, Mainland

Class 2S

Player of the year: Jayvan Boggs, WR, Cocoa

Coach of the year: Ryan Schneider, Cocoa

Class 1S

Player of the year: Teddy Foster, Cardinal Mooney

Coach of the year: Jared Clark, Cardinal Mooney

Class 1R

Player of the year: CJ Ingram, QB, Hawthorne

Coach of the year: Cornelius Ingram, Hawthorne 

Published
Andy Villamarzo

ANDY VILLAMARZO

Andy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007, writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times, The Tampa Tribune, The Suncoast News, Tampa Beacon, Hernando Sun to name a few. Andy resides out of the Tarpon Springs, FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area. He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports, appearing frequently on podcasts, radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings, recruiting and much more.

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