Vote: Who should be the South Florida Offensive Player of the Week (10/30/2023)?
As the Florida high school football regular season winds down, many individual performers are stepping up.
It played out that way again, with South Florida featuring some of the most impressive performances in the state.
From a team standpoint, Piper upset Plantation to capture Class 3M-District 12. For several of the top teams in South Florida, it was business as usual.
Miami Norland, American Heritage Plantation, Coconut Creek and Western all kept rolling.
The excitement promises to pick up in the upcoming weeks, with the playoffs set to begin.
Before we look ahead to the postseason, SBLive Sports Florida asks you to decide who should be the South Florida Offensive Player of the Week? Vote as often as you’d like, and spread the word. Voting ends Saturday, November 4 at 11:59 p.m. and the winner will be announced in next week's poll.
(Reminder: Coaches, players, schools are encouraged to submit their nominees to @JoeFrisaro on X)
Congratulations to last week's winner: Jake Aller of Northwestern.
Here are this week's nominations:
Patrick Anderson Jr., RB, Cardinal Gibbons: For the second straight week, Anderson rushed for more than 100 yards. In a 44-24 win over Stranahan, the Chiefs back ran for 168 yards on 16 carries with three touchdowns.
Anthony Barbar, QB, Westminster Academy: The left-handed throwing QB impressed yet again in a 18-14 win over Bradenton Christian. With the win, Westminster Academy advances to the SSAC State Championship on Thursday at NSU University School. Barbar was 20-for-31 for 364 yards and two TDs.
Ryan Castro, QB, Archbishop Carroll: Running the throwback, Wing-T offense, Archbishop Carroll rolled over Ransom Everglades, 35-13, improving to 8-1. Carroll, which has won the Class 1M-District 8 championship, didn’t attempt a pass. Instead, Castro rushed for 143 yards on 16 carries and scored a TD.
Deandre Desinor, RB, American Heritage Plantation: The Patriots breezed by Hallandale, 55-0. Most of the regulars didn’t see much time. But Desinor, one of the fastest players in South Florida, rushed for 102 yards on just three carries. His long run was a 93-yard TD scamper.
Carlos Avila-Lopez, WR, NSU University: In a wild game with Jupiter Christian, University school won 63-48 to remain undefeated. Avila-Lopez caught 13 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Jett Yurgealitis threw for 409 yards and five TDs, setting up a championship meeting against Westminster Academy.
Jamarie Hostzclaw, RB, Coconut Creek: Committed to Alabama State, Hostzclaw came up big in a 56-8 win against Deerfield Beach. The senior rushed for 207 yards and scored four touchdowns.
Koby Howard, WR, Western: The Wildcats are getting hot at the right time, as they dismantled Coral Glades, 62-0. Howard is a versatile playmaker, who had six catches for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Counting his 11 yards rushing, the junior had 113 total yards.
Zac Katz, QB, True North Classical Academy (Miami): The Titans celebrated a 41-0 win over John Carroll Catholic (Fort Pierce). Katz, a freshman, had a big game, completing 18 of 21 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
James Madison, WR, St. Thomas Aquinas: The Raiders are rolling towards what they hope will be a fifth straight state title. They made easy work of Dillard, winning 58-0, to lock up Class 3A-District 11. Madison, a Missouri commit, caught three touchdown passes.
Christian Mata, QB, Piper: The Bengals upset Plantation, 24-21, to win Class 3M-District 12. Mata engineered three touchdown drives, as well as three successful 2-point conversion attempts. With his running and passing abilities, Piper ran out the final four minutes of the fourth quarter.
Jordan Reed, RB, Plantation: Reed had two rushing touchdowns for the Colonels in their loss to Piper. Reed missed most of the second half after being shaken up, which hurt the team’s chances of rallying.
Isaiah Scott, WR, Miami Norland: The Vikings are now 9-0 after dispatching North Miami Beach, 54-7. Against North Miami Beach, the senior caught two touchdown passes. For the night, he had three receptions for 100 yards, with a long of 42 yards.
Jack Spaeder, QB, Monarch: The Knights rolled past Coral Springs, 48-0, with contributions up and down the roster. Just a freshman, Spaeder shared time at quarterback, but still was 6-for-8 for 225 yards and three touchdowns.
Dannell Wesby, RB, Doral Academy: The Firebirds breezed to a 42-3 win at Miami High. Wesby was a big playmaker, rushing for 156 yards on just seven carries. The sophomore had a long run of 65 yards, and he rushed for two touchdowns.
