Vote: Who was the Treasure Coast’s top junior football player from 2023?

We provide 12 candidates to choose from

Let’s take a closer look at some of the best players in high school football from the 2023 season out of Treasure Coast region. 

Our list includes some of the best in the region and players who proved to be invaluable to their teams last season in making key passes, catches, runs, tackles and sacks at the end of the game, being clutch on offense or helping lead the defense as the top player in the area. 

Plenty of worthy names are on this list, so be sure to vote in our poll for who you thought was the top junior player from the previous 2023 season. Voting will close on April 1st. 

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll. 

Here are the nominees: 

TJ Alford, LB, Vero Beach: One of the Treasure Coast’s top players is Alford at the linebacker position. Plenty of schools are after the athletic backer, especially after a stellar 2023 season that saw Alford make 114 tackles, 12 for loss and four sacks. 

Anthwone Montgomery, DT, Vero Beach: The 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive tackle clogs up the middle of the defense against any opposing offense. Montgomery made 47 tackles, 11.5 for loss and three sacks. 

Colton Foster, WR, Fort Pierce Westwood: Standing at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Foster is a matchup nightmare for any defensive back trying to cover him. Last season, Foster hauled in 15 passes for 309 yards and six touchdowns. 

Cameron Gooden, DE, Fort Pierce Westwood: The 6-foot-4, 245-pound defensive end is a load to handle for any offensive linemen. Gooden for the Panthers last season tallied 48 tackles, seven went for a loss and two sacks. 

Gabriel Alvin, ATH, Treasure Coast: Not many players are as athletic and dangerous in space as Alvin. Likely to be a major weapon for the Titans in 2025, the junior had over 200 yards receiving in 2023. 

Ahmar Atwell, ATH, Treasure Coast: The junior athlete is another Titan that many will need to be on the watch for this spring and upcoming fall. Atwell will see plenty of carries after rushing for nearly 100 yards last year. 

Julius Puryear, LB, Jensen Beach: Puryear can play inside or outside, the 6-foot-2, 220 pound linebacker has several Power Five offers on the table. In 2023, Puryear made 103 tackles, 47 for loss, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles and three interceptions. 

Tony Jefferson, WR, South Fork: Whether Jefferson was lining up to take a handoff or at wide receiver, he was a threat for South Fork’s offense. Last season, the junior caught 27 passes for 368 yards and also added 66 on the ground with five total touchdowns. 

Dominic Lucci, RB, Martin County: A running back out of the 2025 class that really did some damage last season was Lucci. The tailback was impressive for the Tigers in 2023, rushing for 560 yards on 109 carries scoring seven touchdowns. 

Tristin Taylor, WR, Martin County: Though the statistics may not jump out at you, Taylor has been the real deal for Martin County at wide receiver. The speedster tallied just under 200 yards receiving in a run-heavy offense. 

Nate Sparkman, QB, St. Edwards: You haven’t seen a lot of quarterbacks on the Treasure Coast whipping the ball around like Sparkman did last season. As a junior, he completed 177-of-278 passes for 1,878 yards and 19 touchdowns. 

Brooks Williams, DE, Centennial: An imposing teenager at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, the defensive lineman is a load to stop coming off the edge. Williams last season racked up 49 tackles, 13 for loss and 2.5 sacks. 

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl