All-State teams for the 2022 season will be dropping next week on FloridaHSFootball.com and in the led up to that, we have narrowed down the list of the five candidates that are in consideration for our Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year in each of the nine classifications as well as in the Sunshine State Athletic Conference. Also, one of the players between the Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year candidates will be named Overall Player of the Year for their classification.
And for the second year in a row, we are giving fans a vote to decide on who will win the fan vote for each of our three categories for Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year in every classification.
Voting will run through 9 PM EST / 8 PM CST on Thursday, February 16, 2023. You may vote unlimited times during the poll and the poll does have trackers to prevent bot voting.
Here are the candidates for the Class 1R Offensive Player of the Year, Class 1R Defensive Player of the Year, and Class 1R Coach of the Year along with polls for each section!
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
QB AJ Cortese, Union County (Lake Butler) – One of the top passers in Class 1R, Cortese helped led the Tigers to the state semifinals behind 1,487 yards passing and 16 touchdowns along with 721 yards rushing and 10 more touchdowns.
RB Jamarkus Jefferson, Northview (Century) – A bruising running back, Jefferson was a force for the Chiefs offense in reaching the Class 1S state title game with 2,377 yards rushing and 43 touchdowns. Jefferson also recorded 75 tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception, seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
RB Jason Patterson, Sneads – Patterson rushed for 2,721 yards and 35 touchdowns in helping the Pirates reach the regional finals.
QB Austin Simmons, Pahokee – The top passer in Class 1R, Simmons threw for 3,253 yards and 27 touchdowns with a pass completion rate of 67% percent while helping Pahokee reach the regional finals.
RB Kayleb Wagner, Baker – Rushed for 2,397 yards and 27 touchdowns in helping the Gators reach the playoffs. Wagner also had 50 tackles on defense.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
DB Daylyn Diston, Union County (Lake Butler) – Diston was one of the top playmakers for the Tigers on both sides of the ball with 33 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, three interceptions, and six pass breakups. On offense, Diston added 734 yards receiving along with 7 touchdowns.
DL Dewayne “DeeJay” Holmes, Pahokee – If you were on the opposing side of Holmes, you were likely finding a way to avoid getting tackled by him as he racked up a whopping 117 tackles with 33 sacks, 44 quarterback hurries,, forcing four fumbles, recovering four fumbles, and intercepting a pass in helping the Blue Devils reach the regional finals.
DL Jailen Ruth, Hawthorne – The leader of the defense with 94 total tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, two interceptions, seven forced fumbles, and scored two defensive touchdowns while helping lead the Hornets to their first-ever state championship in school history.
DB Wyatt Scruggs, Northview (Century) – Scruggs had 64 tackles, one tackle for loss, 14 pass breakups, and six interceptions in helping the Chiefs reach the Class 1R state championship game.
DL Markus Strong, Union County (Lake Butler) – Racked up 55 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and forcing three fumbles in helping the Tigers reach the state semifinals.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Cornelius Ingram, Hawthorne – The Hawthorne alum guided the Hornets to their first-ever state championship finishing the 2022 season with a 12-0 overall record.
Greg Jordan, Blountstown – In his first season back as the head coach in his second stint at his alma mater, guiding them back to the state semifinals for the first time since the 2019 season when they played for a state championship.
Robby Pruitt, Williston – In his first season in Florida in over two decades, Pruitt guided the Red Devils from a 1-8 record in 2021 to a 10-1 overall record including a playoff berth.
Wes Summerford, Northview (Century) – Guided the Chiefs to a perfect 10-0 regular season and finished 13-1 overall after reaching the Class 1S state championship game.
Andrew Thomas, Union County (Lake Butler) – Guided the Tigers to their first state semifinal appearance in over a decade finishing the season 8-3 overall.
