Week 1 is officially in the books, and the Tampa Bay Region delivered some incredible performances to kick off the 2025 season. From game-changing plays to dominating stat lines, athletes all across the region made their mark on opening week.
After reviewing box scores and standout highlights, we narrowed the field down to 10 finalists for the very first The Blitz – Tampa Bay Player of the Week award. We also spotlighted a few more athletes who were strongly considered.
Now it’s your turn — cast your vote and help crown the Week 1 Player of the Week! Voting is open until Monday, September 1, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET / 10:59 PM CT. Voting is unlimited, so rally your school, your teammates, and your community to support your pick!
We will reveal the winner on The Blitz – Tampa Bay Edition on Tuesday night at 9:15 p.m. ET / 8:15 p.m. CT.
RB Steven Alexis, Gibbs
Rushed 18 times for 248 yards and two touchdowns in a 34–0 win over St. Petersburg.
RB Preston Beckham, Bloomingdale
Rushed for 293 yards and four touchdowns to lead a 41–40 win over Newsome.
QB Chase Burrill, St. Petersburg Catholic
Completed 15 of 18 passes for 228 yards and six touchdowns in a 50–0 win over East River.
QB Will Griffin, Jesuit
Completed 18 of 28 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 33–14 win over Bishop Verot.
WR Jesse Harden, Spoto
Caught four touchdowns among 110 receiving yards in a 43–35 win over Davenport.
QB Patrick Harding, Zephyrhills
Threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score in a 46–0 win over Springstead.
DB Myrone Jean, Lake Wales
Picked off two passes for 157 return yards and a touchdown in a 48–6 win over Specially Fit Academy.
QB Cayden Thomas, Mitchell
Went 13 of 21 for 231 yards and a touchdown and added 105 rushing yards and two scores in a 39–25 win over Gulf.
QB Ayden Wallace, Lakewood
Went 9 of 11 for 140 yards and two touchdowns and added 132 rushing yards and two more scores in a 49–0 win over Northeast.
QB Noah Walstad, Boca Ciega
Completed 16 of 22 passes for 381 yards and six touchdowns in a 69–22 win over Hollins.
VOTE HERE
Who should be the The Blitz - Tampa Bay Player of the Week for Week 1 of the 2025 season?
- QB Noah Walstad, Boca Ciega (54%, 15,173 Votes)
- DB Myrone Jean, Lake Wales (22%, 6,219 Votes)
- QB Chase Burrill, St. Petersburg Catholic (21%, 5,844 Votes)
- WR Jesse Harden, Spoto (1%, 306 Votes)
- RB Steven Alexis, Gibbs (1%, 202 Votes)
- QB Patrick Harding, Zephyrhills (0%, 108 Votes)
- RB Preston Beckham, Bloomingdale (0%, 22 Votes)
- QB Will Griffin, Jesuit (0%, 21 Votes)
- QB Ayden Wallace, Lakewood (0%, 13 Votes)
- QB Cayden Thomas, Mitchell (0%, 4 Votes)
Total Voters: 27,912
ALSO CONSIDERED
QB Jordyn Bailey, Riverview
QB Antonio Balaguer, Sumner
RB Kameron Battle, Carrollwood Day
QB Tripp Brown, Plant
DE Henry Copestake, Shorecrest Prep
QB Gavin Galish, Indian Rocks Christian
QB Jack Griffin, Northside Christian
RB Damir Hooker, Shorecrest Prep
OLB Carlson Lambert, Seffner Christian
QB Daniel Pangallo, Spoto
LB Zion Poole, Countryside
QB Cru Slocum, Victory Christian
LB Trey Trevino, Bishop McLaughlin
QB Jayden Watson, All Saints
QB Jaylen White, Clearwater
DE Dillon Zarle, Calvary Christian (Clearwater)
WR Brendon Zelaya, Bloomingdale
