Vote now: Who should be the South Florida football Coach of the Year?
South Florida stood out again as one of the top prep football areas in the country, sending five schools to the state finals, while capturing three titles.
The level of top talent speaks for itself. So does the coaching.
Head coaches and their staffs deserve plenty of credit for developing talent, and in many cases, getting players to buy in to sharing playing time on loaded rosters.
As SBLive Sports Florida closes out the 2023 season, we’re recognizing the top coaches in South Florida.
In our final football poll of 2023, we’re asking you to decide who is the South Florida football Coach of the Year?
Vote as often as you’d like, and spread the word!
The choices are:
Calvin Davis, Monarch: The Knights made it to the Class 4M state semifinals, and the game was close until the second half, before their season ended against Jacksonville Mandarin. For the season, Monarch went 11-3.
Dave Dunn, Columbus: The Explorers repeated as Class 4M state champions, defeating a Mandarin, 38-19, in the championship game. Columbus executed a masterful gameplan to hold down an explosive Mandarin offense, capping a 13-2 season with another crown.
Roger Harriott, St. Thomas Aquinas: After losing 20-7 to St. John Bosco in the season opener, it appeared the Raiders might be vulnerable. St. Thomas Aquinas even survived a controversial 37-36 finish against Cocoa. But as the season progressed, Harriott’s team made steady strides. The Raiders capped their year off with a 31-28 win over Homestead in the Class 3M state finals, and in the process, set a state record with five straight state championships.
Daryle Heidelberg, Miami Norland: To capture the territory, Heidelberg repeatedly said, you had to take down the king. The Vikings did so by ending Miami Central’s bid for a fifth straight state title. Twice Norland beat Central, and advanced to the Class 2M title game, where the Vikings lost, 28-20, to Tampa Berkeley Prep, finishing 14-1.
Dameon Jones, Chaminade-Madonna: Yes, the Lions are loaded, and featured one of the best offenses in state history. Still, the way Jones and his staff were able to get the players to buy in and play unselfishly doesn’t get enough notice. Chaminade finished 14-0 and dominated Class 1M, rolling past Clearwater Central Catholic, 56-0, in the title game. The Lions have now won three state titles in a row, and six in the last seven years.
Michael Norman, NS University: The Sharks enjoyed a great season, going 9-1. Their most impressive regular season win was a 42-7 performance against Westminster Academy. However, in the state playoffs, Westminster got revenge in the semifinals.
Adam Ratkevich, Western: At one point, the Wildcats were 3-3, with losses to Coconut Creek, St. Thomas Aquinas and American Heritage. But Western went on a six-game winning streak, and even led Columbus late, before having its season end with a 31-13 loss. Western showed plenty of improvement, and still made an impressive showing in the playoffs despite being without several key players, who were out with injuries.
Johnnie Sloan, Coconut Creek: The Cougars were one of the top teams in Broward County, finishing 10-3. They gave Chaminade-Madonna a scare before falling, 35-27. In the playoffs, their season ended with a 28-0 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas.
Mike Smith, American Heritage: With a roster filled with sophomores and juniors, this easily could have been a rebuilding year for the Patriots. But Smith and his staff got the most out of a talented-young group, and American Heritage finished 10-2. The Patriots put themself in position to reach the state finals, but fell short in the Class 2M semifinals, losing 17-14 to eventual champs, Tampa Berkeley Prep.
Ronnie Thornton, Homestead: In his first year as head coach, Thornton guided the Broncos to a 12-2 record, and a second straight appearance in the Class 3M title game. After falling behind by 17 points, Homestead rallied in the second half, but fell just short to St. Thomas Aquinas, 31-28, in arguably the most exciting state championship game.
Ehren Wallhoff, Westminster Academy: The Lions had a strong season, going 9-2, while avenging a loss to NS University school. Westminster Academy advanced to the SSAC State Championship game, where they lost 34-27 to Oviedo Master’s Academy.
Jorge Zagales, Archbishop Carroll: The Bulldogs finished 11-2, and advanced in the Class 1M state playoffs before falling to Chaminade-Madonna. Zagales led the Bulldogs to their first state semifinals since 2007.
