GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Here are the 2018 All-State Football Superlatives for all eight classifications as selected by FloridaHSFootball.com Publisher Joshua Wilson.
CLASS 8A SUPERLATIVES
Overall Player of The Year: QB Carson Beck, Jacksonville Mandarin
Offensive MVP: RB Jaylan Knighton, Deerfield Beach
Defensive MVP: CB Akeem Dent, Wellington Palm Beach Central
Special Teams MVP: P Alec Boe, Winter Park
Coach of the Year: Bobby Ramsay, Jacksonville Mandarin — Orchestrated one of the most impressive turnarounds by any team in Florida in recent memory going from losing record to state champions in one year.
Team of the Year: Jacksonville Mandarin Mustangs — Went from 2-8 to state champions in one year after the school’s furthest run involved reaching
CLASS 7A SUPERLATIVES
Overall Player of The Year: RB Demarkcus Bowman, Lakeland
Offensive MVP: ATH/QB Bryce Norton, Melbourne Viera
Defensive MVP: DE AJ Thomas Jr., Lakeland
Special Teams MVP: K Davis Hughes, Clearwater Countryside
Coach of the Year: Bill Castle, Lakeland — Coached the only team in Florida to finish the season with a perfect record while leading the Dreadnaughts to the first state championship in over a decade.
Team of the Year: Orlando Edgewater Eagles — Was the most surprising team of the four teams to reach the final four in Class 7A which had not reached the state semifinals since 2009.
CLASS 6A SUPERLATIVES
Overall Player of The Year: DE Samuel Brooks, Miami Northwestern
Offensive MVP: QB Daniel Richardson, Miami Carol City
Defensive MVP: DT Calijah Kancey, MIami Northwestern
Special Teams MVP: RET Einaj Carter, New Smyrna Beach
Coach of the Year: Tim Hatten, Crestview — Lead the Bulldogs to the state semifinals for the first time in over 15 years.
Team of the Year: Miami Northwestern Bulls — Team fought through adversity, becoming the first third-place team from a district to win a state championship in Florida history.
CLASS 5A SUPERLATIVES
Overall Player of The Year: RB Mike Weston, Brooksville Nature Coast
Offensive MVP: QB Nik Scalzo, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons
Defensive MVP: ILB Dorian Jones, Plantation American Heritage
Special Teams MVP: K Daton Montiel, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons
Coach of the Year: Matt DuBuc, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons — Lead Cardinal Gibbons to deepest playoff run since 1990 and coaching team school’s first football state championship.
Team of the Year: Citra North Marion Colts — Pulled off one of the biggest surprises this year going from 3-7 to schools first-ever appearance in a state championship game in just one season.
CLASS 4A SUPERLATIVES
Overall Player of The Year: QB Davius Richard, Belle Glade Glades Central
Offensive MVP: RB Brandon Marshall, Raines
Defensive MVP: OLB Javon Bonsell, Raines
Special Teams MVP: P Alex Petruzzello, 6-1, 192, Sr., Cocoa
Coach of the Year: Deran Wiley, Jacksonville Raines — Say what you want, but no public school in Duval County has ever been able to capture back-to-back state championships in football until this season.
Team of the Year: The Villages Buffalo — This is a program that has been working hard for many years and the Buffalo finally broke through with their first undefeated regular season and their first appearance in the regional final in school history.
CLASS 3A SUPERLATIVES
Overall Player of The Year: ATH Justin Wake, West Palm Beach King’s Academy
Offensive MVP: QB/UT Gavin Screws, Baldwin
Defensive MVP: CB Te’cory Couch, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna
Special Teams MVP: K Jack Gabbe, West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman
Coach of the Year: Keith Allen, West Palm Beach King’s Academy — Allen completely turned the dynamics around of a program that had just been independent prior to the 2017 season and leading them to the school’s first-ever state championship appearance.
Team of the Year: West Palm Beach King’s Academy Lions — This is a team that was just independent two years ago and knocked out some quality teams along the way to reach the school’s first-ever state championship game appearance in football.
CLASS 2A SUPERLATIVES
Overall Player of The Year: ATH Jensen Jones, Naples St. John Neumann
Offensive MVP: QB Isaiah Knowles, Seffner Christian
Defensive MVP: ATH Von Hayes, North Florida Christian
Special Teams MVP: P Mykal Chan, Winter Garden Foundation Academy
Coach of the Year: Steve Price, Tallahassee North Florida Christian — Led the Eagles to the first state championship since 2011 after going through a battled tested season.
Team of the Year: Tallahassee North Florida Christian Eagles — When no one saw it coming, the Eagles proved everyone wrong winning the gauntlet of the playoff schedule knocking out some tough competition and capturing the school’s eighth overall state championship and the first since 2011.
CLASS 1A SUPERLATIVES
Overall Player of The Year: ATH Travis Jay, Madison County
Offensive MVP: RB Octavius “Junior” McLaughlin, Baker
Defensive MVP: DT Terray Jones, Madison County
Special Teams MVP: K Thomas Miller, Madison County
Coach of the Year: Adam Gore, Chiefland — Led Chiefland their first playoff appearance since 2004 and leading them to their first regional final appearance since 2003.
Team of the Year: Hawthorne Hornets — While most expected Madison County to repeat, almost none expected the season put together by the Hornets going undefeated in the regular season and reaching the state semifinals for the first time in nearly a decade.
