For the first time ever, FloridaHSFootball.com is giving fans a chance to vote for Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year in each classification as part of our 2021 All-State honors.
From now until 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 17, you can vote once per hour, per device to keep the integrity of the poll legitimate and fair for everyone.
Here are the nominees for each category and polls for you to vote in for Class 1A. Please remember to click the share buttons above to share this with your friends and family so they can participate in the fan polls as well.
CLASS 1A
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
RB Tommie House, Sr., Madison County
House was a force for the Cowboys’ rushing attack rushing for over 1,300 yards on 184 carries and scoring 10 times in helping lead the team to their fourth Class 1A State Championship in the least five years.
QB Tyler Jefferson, Jr., Hawthorne
A dynamic dual-threat option, Jefferson was one of the leaders in helping the Hornets reach the Class 1A State Championship game for the second straight year. Jefferson went 36-of-82 passing for 652 yards while tossing 6 touchdowns and added 107 carries on the ground for 721 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns in just 12 total games played between the regular season and the playoffs.
QB Amari Jones, Sr., Starke Bradford
The leading quarterback in Class 1A this season, Jones went 148-of-262 passing for 2,287 yards throwing 24 touchdowns while adding another 67 carries on the ground for 468 yards rushing and 8 more touchdowns. Jones’ efforts helped the Tornadoes reach the Class 1A-Region 4 Semifinals before falling to Pahokee.
ATH DJ Oliver, Jr., Port St. Joe
One of the leading rushers in Class 1A this season, Oliver was a force both offensively and defensively for the Tiger Sharks. On offense, Oliver rushed for 1,689 yards on just 124 carries, scoring 20 times while catching the ball 20 times for 378 yards and 5 more touchdowns. On defense Oliver collected up 107 tackles, forcing 2 fumbles while recovering 2 fumbles and scoring a total of 160 points overall as the Tigers Sharks while reaching the Class 1A-Region 2 Semifinals.
RB Kayleb Wagner, Sr., Baker
The top running back in Class 1A this season, Wagner collected up a ton of yards along the way including breaking Derrick Henry’s single-game rushing record of 502 yards with 535 yards that were set on Sept. 17 in the Gators’ 49-48 victory over Santa Rosa Beach South Walton. In the end, Wagner rushed for 1,949 yards and scored 21 touchdowns to cap off his amazing career at the small-town school in Northwest Okaloosa County.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
ATH Trevion Gillyard, So., Madison County
Only a sophomore, Gillyard made an instant impact for the Cowboys secondary racking up 69 tackles, 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, intercepting 4 passes, breaking up three passes, forcing 2 fumbles, and recovering 2 more fumbles while also spending time on offense catching passes when needed as Madison County clinched the 2021 Class 1A State Championship.
DL Dwayne “DJ” Holmes, Jr., Pahokee
Holmes was a force for the Blue Devils’ defensive line racking up 92 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 23 sacks, and had three defensive scores while helping the team reach the Class 1A-Region 4 Finals before falling to eventual State Runner-Up Hawthorne.
LB Keshaun Mitchell, Sr., Madison County
One of the names heard often in connection with the Madison County defense, he racked up 147 tackles, 16 TFL, 2 sacks, intercepted 1 pass while also forcing a fumble. And if that wasn’t enough, Mitchell contributed on offense with over 400 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns while helping the Cowboys win the Class 1A State Championship.
DL Jailen Ruth, Jr., Hawthorne
The Hornets’ most dominant defensive player for the past two seasons, Ruth racked up 113 tackles on opposing offenses while having 31 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, forcing 4 fumbles, and recovering 6 fumbles while leading the team to their second straight Class 1A State Championship game appearance.
LB Curran Webb, Sr., Lake Butler Union County
Webb was the Tigers’ most explosive playmaker on defense this season, racking up 99 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, and sacking the opposing quarterback 15 times while helping to lead Union County to the Class 1A-Region 3 Finals.
COACH OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Marcus Buchanan, Chipley
In his first season at the helm as head coach of the Tigers, Buchanan led the team to their best finish since their appearance in the 2011 Class 1A State Championship with a 9-4 overall record, the Class 1A-Region 1 Championship, and reaching the state semifinals where the season would come to close against eventual State Runner-Up Hawthorne.
Mike Coe, Madison County
With over a decade of leading the Cowboys, Coe helped guided his team to their fourth Class 1A State Championship in the last five years this season, facing a ton of adversity with suspensions and injuries during the first half of the season and then went on a winning streak in the second half of the season and never looking back. The Cowboys finished an 11-3 overall record, the Class 1A-Region 2 Championship, and the 2021 Class 1A State Championship.
Adam Gore, Chiefland
In his lone year back as the head coach of the Indians, Gore led Chiefland to their best finish since the school won the Class 2A state championship in 1997 with an 11-2 overall record, the Class 1A-Region 3 championship, and a spot in the state semifinals before falling to eventual State Champion, Madison County.
Cornelius Ingram, Hawthorne
Ingram, a Hawthorne alum, led his team to a second straight appearance in the Class 1A State Championship game. That included an 8-0 regular-season record, winning the Class 1A-Region 4 Championship and finishing the season overall at 11-1 as the Class 1A State Runner-Up.
Andrew Thomas, Lake Butler Union County
In his second season as the head coach, Thomas led his Tigers to a perfect 10-0 regular-season record and a second straight trip to the Class 1A-Region 3 Championship game before falling to Chiefland in a nailbiter that ended the season.
