Vote: Who should be the South Florida football Player of the Week? (9/30/2024)

Soggy and windy conditions caused by Hurricane Helene didn’t slow down the quality of play of high school football in South Florida

Brent Fardette lifted Cardinal Gibbons to victory by executing a successful late on-sides kick and following up with a game winning field goal in the Chiefs 36-35 victory. / Brent Fardett X Page

The impact of Hurricane Helene was felt in South Florida, as last Thursday’s slate of games was postponed. And in some parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, Friday’s contests dealt with rain and wet conditions.

In South Florida, dealing with the elements comes with the territory because hurricane season runs through November.

Still, plenty of games got in over the weekend, and now it’s time to recognize the top performers in our SBLive South Florida football Player of the Week poll.

Vote as often as you’d like. And players, coaches and schools are encouraged to send nominees to @JoeFrisaro on X.

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Congratulations to last week's winner: Jamar Denson of American Heritage.

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SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. The use of voting bots and other forms of automated voting are not allowed. Individuals will be removed from the poll if any form of automated voting can be verified. - SBLive Sports

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Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6. The winner will be announced in the following week's poll. Here are this week's nominees:

Dia Bell, QB, American Heritage

Don’t let the 3-3 record deceive you. The Patriots are one of the top teams in the nation. Their three losses are to national powers. That said, Heritage found itself in a must-win district game with Plantation, which entered Friday night 4-0. The Patriots rolled, 35-0, with Bell (Texas commit) throwing for 302 yards and four touchdowns.

Johnathan Bueno, RB, Western

With all the talent Western has, it’s hard to believe the Wildcats are 1-4. But that’s deceiving considering their losses are all to national powers. And Bueno is among the hardest runners in South Florida, which he displayed on his 40-yard TD run against Chaminade-Madonna.

Brent Fardette, PK, Cardinal Gibbons

With 28 seconds remaining, Fardette booted the game-winning field goal in a 36-35 thriller against Calvary Christian. Fardette also successfully executed an on-sides kick late in the game.

Kaj “Nitro” Baker, WR, Somerset Academy

In a 20-7 win over Stranahan, Baker had 112 yards in receptions on five catches.

Camden Hartzell, QB, Calvary Christian Academy

Against Cardinal Gibbons, Hartzell threw a touchdown pass and rushed for two more.

Kymani Morales, DE, American Heritage

Morales makes things happen. And in a shutout against Plantation, the junior had seven tackles, with three for losses and a sack.

Jasen “JRoc” Lopez, WR, Chaminade-Madonna

The four-star receiver remains one of the top playmakers in the state. In a 26-9 win at Western, Lopez had eight catches for 151 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown reception.

Jaeden Phillips, QB, Stranahan

Phillips threw for 204 yards against Somerset Academy.

Shandon Smith, RB, Southridge

The Spartans are for real. In a 17-14 win against Homestead, Smith broke free on a 38-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter.

Cortez Mills, WR, Homestead

The Broncos came up short by three points against Southridge. But Mills, committed to Oklahoma, caught seven passes for 111 yards.

Joshua Rivera, RB, Archbishop Carroll

The Bulldogs edged True North Classical Academy, 20-19. Rivera ran for 143 yards on 22 carries.

Malachi Toney, WR, American Heritage

Recently, Toney reclassified and is now part of the 2025 graduating class. Committed to Miami, Toney also visited Alabama this past weekend. Before making the trip, Toney had five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Arwin Jackson, RB, Chaminade-Madonna

An injury caused Jackson to miss a few games earlier in the season. But on Friday at Western, Jackson came up big by rushing for 90 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Jackson had a five-yard TD run in the first quarter.

Zac Katz, QB, True North Classical

In a one-point loss, Katz threw for 180 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for 47 yards on four attempts.

Donta Simpson, DE, Chaminade-Madonna

In the Lions’ win at Western, the defense really was the story. And several defenders could be listed here. We're singling out Simpson, who sacked Wildcats’ quarterback Sebastian Circo for a safety on the first drive of the third quarter.

Javin Taylor, RB, West Boca Raton

The Bulls dominated Dwyer, 42-0. When the score was closer, Taylor’s touchdown run made it 20-0 in the second quarter.

Jason Rolle, WR, True North Classical

Rolle had 115 yards receiving on three catches and two touchdowns.

Jayden Torres, QB, Cardinal Gibbons

The Chiefs won a thriller against Calvary Christian, with Torres throwing for 374 yards and three touchdowns.

Jayden Lockhart, RB, West Boca Raton

In a blowout win against Dwyer, Lockhart rushed for 127 yards on nine carries.

Isaac Tromon Jr., WR, Western

Keep an eye on this freshman. Tromon was an immediate threat every time he touched the ball against Chaminade-Madonna. The freshman had a 71-yard reception, eluding defenders all the way down the field, before he was knocked out of bounds at the Lions’ nine. And he had a long touchdown reception called back because of a penalty.

Spencer Voss, DT, Southridge

The Spartans defense was the story in a win against Homestead. Voss had two of his team’s four sacks.

Ennio Yapoor, QB, Miami Norland

Bouncing back from a loss to Chaminade-Madonna, Yapoor had a big game in a 49-16 win at Archbishop McCarthy.