Vote: Who is the 2023 Collier County Offensive Player of the Year?
It was a strong year across the board out of Collier County when it came down to offensive play.
From quarterbacks to running backs to wide receivers, there was plenty to get excited about if you were a fan of high school football out of Collier County.
We continue our regional polls around the state as the high school football season winds down and ask the question: Who is the Offensive Player of the Year out of Collier County for 2023?
We’ve selected nine 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:
Shawn Simeon, RB, Naples: The junior tailback had big shoes to fill after last season's tandem of Isaiah Augustave and Kendrick Raphael both graduated. Simeon did that and then some, rushing for a school-record 387 yards and scoring seven touchdowns in the Golden Eagles' 63-33 win over Port Charlotte. The tailback rushed for 2,040 yards and 27 touchdowns this fall.
Ethan Crossan, QB, First Baptist Academy: Crossan has seen his workload increase at the quarterback position from last season and he's done a masterful job. The Lions may have two games to go, but Crossan through 12 games has thrown for 2,909 yards, 36 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Trayvon Jean, RB, Golden Gate: Jean is another junior running back that made waves this 2023 campaign, helping the Titans win their first-ever district title and notching a playoff win. The running back rushed for 1,683 yards on 230 carries and scored 14 touchdowns.
Niko Boyce, QB, Barron Collier: Boyce transferred to Barron Collier from Naples during the off-season and it was a good decision for the junior quarterback. The junior completed 133-of-244 passes for 1,908 yards, 20 touchdowns and also rushed for 629 and 11 scores.
Trannon Villarreal, QB, Immokalee: The dual-threat senior quarterback helped lead a turnaround at Immokalee the last couple of seasons, including a playoff win. Villarreal finished the season completing 116-of-185 passes for 1,697 yards, 17 touchdowns through the air. On the ground, Villarreal rushed for 543 yards and four scores.
Nino Joseph, RB, Lely: Just a freshman for the Trojans, Joseph made an immediate impact for Lely. The running back finished his frosh campaign carrying the ball 150 times for 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Jayce Seyler, QB, Gulf Coast: The junior quarterback helped lead the Sharks to a 5-5 record on the season, including a playoff berth. Seyler finished throwing for 731 yards, six touchdowns and on the ground rushed for 521 and two scores.
Demetri Zertopoulis, QB, Palmetto Ridge: The senior signal caller finished his high school career off with a solid 2023 campaign. Zertopoulis completed 94-of-176 passes for 1,104 yards, eight touchdowns. Also added 349 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Cale Austin, QB, Community School of Naples: The sophomore quarterback made a name for himself during the 2023 season. Arguably his best performance of the season came in a 27-26 Class 1S playoff win over Evangelical Christian, completing 18-of-21 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns. Also added 100 yards rushing.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl
