Vote: Who should be the South Florida football Offensive Player of the Year?
Putting points on the board wasn’t a problem for South Florida football offenses.
The area featured some of the top talent, not only in the state of Florida but the nation. The results were obvious, with South Florida producing three state champions and one runner-up.
Class 1M state champion Chaminade-Madonna, and Class 3M state titlist St. Thomas Aquinas ran up huge scoring numbers throughout the season. And Class 4M state champion Columbus also had a roster filled with top playmakers.
In Class 2M, Miami Norland was a scoring machine. However, the Vikings stumbled in the state finals, and finished second in their classification.
Now with the 2023 football season in the books, SBLive Sports Florida is recognizing the best players in South Florida.
This week, we’re honoring the top players on offense, and are asking you, the fans, to vote for who should be the South Florida Offensive Player of the Year. Voting ends December 31st at 11:59 p.m.
Vote as often as you want, and spread the word!
Here are the nominees:
Kael Alexander, QB, Miramar: The senior guided Miramar into the playoffs, and in three postseason games, Alexander threw nine touchdown passes. For the season, he was just shy of 3,000 passing yards (2,951), with 32 TD passes.
Patrick Anderson, RB, Cardinal Gibbons: Credit the Chiefs for making steady progress during the season, and playing their best football at the end of the year. A big reason is the play of Anderson, the senior who rushed for 1,109 yards (85.3 yards per game), and 14 touchdowns.
Cedrick Bailey, QB, Chaminade-Madonna: Bailey, committed to North Carolina State, guided the Lions to a perfect 14-0 season and a state championship three-peat, passing for 3,125 yards and 47 touchdowns.
Anthony Barbar, QB, Westminster Academy: Barbar completed close to 70 percent of his passes, and threw for 3,212 yards and 32 touchdowns, leading Westminster Academy to the SSAC State Championship game.
Davi Belfort, QB, Western: A hard-nosed runner and talented passer, Belfort gained 487 yards on the ground, and threw for 2,598 yards and 20 touchdowns. The Virginia Tech commit added nine rushing touchdowns.
Jabari Brady, WR, Monarch: Knocked off by Jacksonville Mandarin in the Class 4M state semifinals, Monarch still featured a high-powered offensive. Brady, a sophomore, established himself as one of the best receivers in the state, catching 70 passes for 1,392 yards.
Ryan Castro, QB, Archbishop Carroll: Almost exclusively a running team, Carroll featured three players who rushed for more than 1,000 yards. The senior had 1,240 yards on the ground, and threw for 277 for the Bulldogs, which advanced to the Class 1M state semifinals.
James Hayes, QB, Coconut Creek: Unheralded early in the season, Coconut Creek emerged as one of the best teams in Broward County. Credit Hayes for leading the charge. The senior stepped up with 2,125 passing yards and 22 touchdowns.
Jayden Gonzalez, QB, Pembroke Pines Charter: The Jaguars finished with a respectable 6-4 record, despite dealing with key injuries. Gonzalez, a junior, had a strong year, passing for 1,616 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Robert Kerns, QB, Archbishop McCarthy: Just a sophomore, Kerns did a bit of everything for the Mavericks, who finished undefeated at 9-0. Kerns threw for 1,213 yards and rushed for 671 yards.
Zac Katz, QB, True North Classical Academy: A freshman, Katz made an immediate impact, throwing for 2,973 yards, while rushing for 236 yards.
Byron Louis, RB, American Heritage: Louis, a junior, showed why he is one of the heavily recruited backs in the state, rushing for 1,224 yards and 7.7 yards per carry, while adding 18 touchdowns.
Jordan Lyle, RB, St. Thomas Aquinas: The sign of a great running back is having the ability to get stronger as the season progresses. Lyle did that. The Ohio State commit ran for 1,376 yards and scored 21 touchdowns.
Javian Mallory, RB, West Boca Raton: The sophomore picked up 1,415 yards on the ground, and scored 18 touchdowns. As a receiver, he caught 22 passes for 438 yards and six touchdowns.
Alberto Mendoza, QB, Columbus: In two seasons as Columbus’ starter, Mendoza guided the Explorers to back-to-back state championships. The senior, who committed to Indiana, threw for 1,950 yards and 22 touchdowns, despite missing a few games due to a broken finger. In the state championship game victory, he rushed for and three for more than 100 yards.
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Chaminade-Madonna: What more can you say about Smith, the top player in the nation. The Ohio State commit caught 90 passes for 1,389 yards, with 19 touchdowns, and he averaged 99.2 receiving yards per game. Keep in mind, with Chaminade winning so many lopsided games, Smith rarely saw action in the second half.
Khaleal Sterling, WR, Miami Central: One of the most talented receivers in South Florida, Sterling paced a balanced Central offense with 27 catches for 616 yards, and seven touchdowns.
Joshua Townsend, QB, Homestead: Terrific in the state championship finals, Townsend nearly led the Broncos to a comeback win against St. Thomas. Townsend certainly improved his stock in that game. For the season, he passed for 3,533 yards and 42 touchdowns.
Chris Wheatley-Humphrey, RB, South Broward: An explosive playmaker, Wheatley-Humphrey ran for 2,076 yards, averaging 207.6 yards per game. The Miami commit scored 16 touchdowns.
Ennio Yapoor, QB, Miami Norland: Probably the most consistent quarterback in Miami-Dade County, Yapoor guided Norland to a 14-1 record, while passing for 4,270 yards and 30 touchdowns. A bruising rusher as well, the junior added 793 yards on the ground and 12 touchdowns.
Jett Yurgealitis, QB, NSU University: Yurgealitis closed out his high school career with a huge season, passing for 2,517 yards and 35 touchdowns.
