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 4M Offensive Player of the Year, Class 4M Defensive Player of the Year, and Class 4M Coach of the Year along with polls for each section!
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
QB Ahmad Haston, Palm Beach Central (Wellington) – A first-team All-State selection a year ago in Class 8A, Haston had another huge year racking up 2,650 yards of offense with 38 passing touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns for a total of 50 touchdowns scored while helping guide the Broncos to the final four for the first time ever.
QB Alberto Mendoza, Columbus (Miami) – Guided the Explorers to the Class 4M title with 2,611 yards passing, completing 72.3% of his passes and 35 TDs against 8 INTs. He also rushed for 239 yards on 37 carries and scored four times from the ground. Mendoza also had the game-winning touchdown in overtime in the Class 4M title game.
WR Asaad Wassem, Ocoee – Wassem, who will be on the All-State team as a utility player was just that for the Knights in their historic final four run, racking up 1,486 yards receiving on 86 catches and 20 touchdowns. On Defense, Wassem hauled in 3 interceptions. On special teams, Wassem was just as dangerous returning three punts for touchdowns and returning a kickoff for a touchdown.
RB Mark Wilder Jr., Doral Academy – The key ingredient of the Firebirds’ offense, Wilder ran loose on many teams racking up 2,169 yards on 255 carries and 24 touchdowns. Wilder also had two receiving touchdowns.
RB Luke Yoder, East Lake (Tarpon Springs) – A key member of the Eagles’ run to the regional finals on offense, Yoder rushed for 1,673 yards and 25 touchdowns for East Lake.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
DB Justin Bostic, Palm Beach Central (Wellington) – Had a huge year with 74 tackles, and 7 INTs with five of those returned for TTDs, 14 PBUs, a punt return TD, a kickoff return TD and 2 receiving TDs on offense while helping the Broncos reach the state semifinals for the first time in program history.
DB Ahmere Foster, Columbus (Miami) – A 4-year starter for the Explorers, Foster was a vital member of the defense that won the Explorers two state championships in the last four years. For his final act, Foster had 36 tackles, 3 INTs, and 3 PBUs and was avoided by many teams in throwing to wherever he was on the field.
DL Daylen Russell, Columbus (Miami) – A key cog of the defensive line for the Explorers in winning the Class 4M state championship, Russel had 10 sacks on the season to pair with 84 tackles and 13 TFL. He also added eight quarterback hurries along with three forced fumbles.
DL Nick Toussaint, Palm Beach Central (Wellington) – Racked up 71 tackles, 18 TFL, 16.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and a blocked punt while helping the Broncos reach the final four for the first time in program history.
LB Rashad Watson, Apopka – A critical part of the Blue Darters’ stout defense, Watson arguably had some of the strongest impacts on the team in 2022 with 151 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, three blocked kicks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in leading the Blue Darters to their third state championship appearance in the last four years.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Dave Dunn, Columbus (Miami) – Led the Explorers to their second state championship in four years with a very talented team leading the way, finishing 14-1 with their only loss coming to Class 2M state champion, Miami Central.
Bob Hudson, East Lake (Tarpon Springs) – Guided the Eagles to an 11-2 record and a regional final appearance, the deepest playoff run Tarpon Springs has seen in years.
Jeff Rolson, Apopka – Guided the Blue Darters to an 11-4 finish and their third state championship appearance in the last four years.
Aaron Sheppard, Ocoee – Led the Knights on a historic playoff run that ended in a battle against Columbus in the state semifinals finishing the 2022 season overall at 9-5.
Kevin Thompson, Palm Beach Central – The first-year head coach picked up things right where they left off last year and guided the Broncos to their first-ever appearance in the state semifinals finishing the season overall at 12-2.
