Vote: Who is the 2023 North Suncoast Football Player of the Year?
Needing to make a key play on either side of the ball or leading their respective team to the playoffs, it was a great statistical season overall for players on the North Suncoast.
From quarterbacks to running backs to defensive linemen and linebackers, there was plenty to get excited about if you were a fan of high school football between Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties.
We kickoff our regional polls around the state as the high school football season winds down and ask the question: Who is the Player of the Year on the North Suncoast for 2023?
We’ve selected 16 very worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.
Voting will end on December 31st, 2023.
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 nominations:
Luke Knight, QB, Wiregrass Ranch: Knight, an Army commitment, set Pasco County records in yards and touchdowns in a single season with 3,872 and 43. The quarterback transferred to the Bulls in the off-season and led them to the region semifinals of the Class 4S playoffs.
Isaiah Riggins, WR, Wiregrass Ranch: Riggins broke Land O' Lakes' Logan Payne's single-season record for yards in a season that had been held since 2002. The wide receiver finished with 93 catches for 1,586 yards and 16 touchdowns.
DJ Pickett, WR/DB, Zephyrhills: Pickett is being recruited by every college in the nation to play on the defensive side of the ball, but offensively he got it done as well for the Bulldogs. As a wideout, Pickett finished the season with 1,048 yards and 16 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Pickett had over 30 tackles and an interception.
Jack Niemann, QB, Cypress Creek: Niemann will leave the Coyotes as the program’s leader in just about every passing category. Leading Cypress Creek to a 9-2 record and a playoff berth, Niemann threw for 2,382 yards, 29 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Milton Gracia, WR/DB, Cypress Creek: It's not many times you hear about a defensive back intercepting passes in the double digits for the season. Gracia did for the 9-2 Coyotes in 2023 as the defensive back intercepted 10 passes. Also has 587 yards receiving on offense.
Cayden Thomas, QB, Mitchell: Not many sophomores can put on the kind of season Thomas did. The signal caller came onto the scene and made a big impact as a dual-threat quarterback throwing for 2,175 yards, 24 touchdowns and on the ground rushed for 271 and three scores.
Corey Simms, RB, Mitchell: No back in Mitchell program history rushed for yards than Simms did this past 2023 campaign. The running back carried the rock 206 times for 1,742 yards and scored 26 touchdowns.
Antonio Muniz, RB, Gulf: By season’s end, Muniz was starting to flirt with Adrian ‘Bubba’ Golden’s magical 2008 season he had at Gulf. Muniz was among one of the state’s leaders in rushing, going for 1,930 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Aiden Holewski, DE, Gulf: The Buccaneer defensive end didn't disappoint after showing signs in 2022 of becoming one of the better pass rushers around. Howleski ended the season with 86 tackles, 11 sacks, good for the lead in Pasco County.
James Conley, ATH, Hudson: Whenever you planned for the Hudson Cobras, you had to plan accordingly for Conley. The multi-talented athlete was a threat at running back, wide receiver and on special teams to score, totaling 1,166 all-purpose yards and scoring 11 total touchdowns. Conley was a threat to score from anywhere on the field.
Jamarian Miller, RB, Fivay: Coming over via transfer from Mitchell, Miller helped lead the way to the Falcons’ 6-4 turnaround this fall. Miller carried the ball 161 times for 1,173 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Without Miller, we're not quite sure Fivay gets over the .500 mark this past season.
Parker Stirnkorb, QB, Zephyrhills Christian Academy: On a list that’s filled with quarterbacks, Stirnkorb’s numbers matchup with just about anyone. The senior quarterback threw for 2,222 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Warriors.
Christian Cromer, RB/LB, Nature Coast: Cromer, a Navy commitment, led all running backs on the North Suncoast when it came to finding the endzone. The bulldozer of a tailback scored 30 touchdowns and rushed for 1,464 yards. On defense, Cromer made 21 tackles for the Sharks.
Connor Mccazzio, RB, Springstead: Even when teams knew what was coming, Mccazzio still got his yards and touchdowns for the Eagles. The running back carried the ball 182 times for 1,529 yards and scored 21 touchdowns.
John Capel III, RB/LB, Hernando: Without Capel III on offense, it’s hard seeing the Leopards getting to the 4-win mark this season. The senior running back was the engine to Hernando’s offense, rushing for 1,515 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. On defense, Capel III made 77 tackles, 14 for loss and two sacks.
JT Tipton, QB, Lecanto: Just a sophomore starting for the Panthers, Tipton proved once again in his second season that he’s one of the region’s most efficient passers. Tipton threw for 1,908 yards , 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions for the 5-5 Panthers.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl
