GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After a successful 2021 season, FloridaHSFootball.com is happy to announce the award winners for the following awards in Class 3A.
CLASS 3A OVERALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
DL Kenyatta Jackson, Sr., Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna
Part of a dynamic duo with Jamaal Johnson on the defensive line for the Lions, Jackson racked up 78 tackles on the season and collected up 18 sacks, helping Chaminade-Madonna reclaim the Class 3A State Championship to cap off the 2021 season.
CLASS 3A OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
UTL Xavier Townsend, Sr., Tampa Berkeley Prep
One of the top weapons the Buccaneers utilized and utilized often as part of their one-two gut punch on the ground during the season, Townsend truly did it all. First, let us start off with the ground game with 1,209 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns in 13 games played. He also added in 19 catches for 434 yards and 7 more touchdowns. And if that was not enough Townsend added in 2 punt return touchdowns and finished the season with 2,215 all-purpose yards. That effort helped Berkeley Prep reach their first-ever State Championship game in school history where the Buccaneers finished as the Class 3A State Runner-Up.
CLASS 3A DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
DL Jamaal Johnson, Sr., Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna
The other part of the Lions’ dynamic duo on the defensive line, Johnson sometimes was forgotten about, but when he wanted you to know he was there on the field, he would surely let you know it. Johnson’s senior year campaign ended with 80 total tackles and 21.5 sacks, helping lead Chaminade-Madonna to the 2021 Class 3A State Championship.
CLASS 3A COACH OF THE YEAR
Dom Ciao, Tampa Berkeley Prep
Ciao, a Hillsborough and Florida coaching legend, guided the Buccaneers to their first-ever state championship game appearance after coming up one game short in 2020. The Buccaneers finished the 2021 season as the Class 3A State Runner-Up with a 12-1 overall record including a 9-0 record in the regular season.
FAN VOTE RESULTS
Berkeley Prep pair leads fan vote polls for Offensive Player of the Year
Tampa Berkeley Prep running back Travis Bates who rushed for 1,857 yards and 21 touchdowns and fellow teammate Xavier Townsend led the fan poll vote, finishing first and second respectively with 41.3% and 26.3% of the vote totals. Fort Myers Bishop Verot QB Carter Smith who had a great season as a freshman turned in third place on the fan vote poll with 14.6% of the vote. Rounding off the voting was Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna running back Davion Gause coming in at 8.9% while Clearwater Central Catholic wide receiver Nate Johnson finished fifth with 8.8% of the vote.
Berkeley Prep’s Keeley led way for Defensive Player of the Year fan vote
Tampa Berkeley Prep defensive lineman Keon Keeley who had 65 total tackles, 35 tackles for loss, and 16.5 sacks on the season finished with the most votes at 48.2% of the overall vote. Clearwater Central Catholic defensive back Carson Schiavello who had 68 tackles, intercepted a pass and batted down 7 passes finished second in the voting with 36.6% of the fan vote. Finishing third was Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna defensive lineman Kenyatta Jackson with 8.3% of the vote. Rounding off the voting was Jackson’s teammate, defensive lineman Jamaal Johnson with 4.2% of the vote, and Fort Myers Bishop Verot linebacker Austin Redd with 2.7% of the vote.
It was a neck and neck race in the fan vote for Coach of the Year
In the Coach of the Year fan vote, there was a neck and neck race between Tallahassee Florida High’s Jarrod Hickman and Tampa Berkeley Prep’s Dom Ciao. Hickman finished first with 45.2% of the vote while Ciao came in a very close second with 43.7% of the vote. Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna’s Dameon Jones finished third with 8.4% of the vote while Lakeland Christian’s Danny Williams had 1.9% of the vote to finish fourth. Eric Kresser from Palm Beach Gardens Benjamin rounded up the voting with less than one percent of the vote total.
