Introducing the Herald-Tribune 2023 All-Area Football Offensive Team
At the end of each season, The Herald-Tribune selects All-Area teams honoring the best athletes for every sport. Coaches from Sarasota and Manatee county schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rate their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data combined with The Herald-Tribune's research led to the selection of the All-Area teams.
FIRST TEAM
Jaden Baker
School: Bradenton Christian School
Year: Senior
Position: Athlete
Highlights: Baker caught 20 passes for 452 yards and eight touchdowns, rushed 18 times for 151 yards and a score. Also returned two kickoffs for 38 yards and three punts for 127 yards.
Carson Beach
School: Cardinal Mooney Catholic
Year: Senior
Position: Running back
Highlights: Beach carried 230 times for 1,619 yards and 27 touchdowns, including 11 in four playoff games for the state champion Cougars. Also caught 12 passes for 97 yards.
Bon Bean
School: Manatee
Year: Senior
Position: Wide receiver
Highlights: Bean caught 62 passes for 1,083 yards and nine touchdowns. Also rushed five times for 30 yards.
Josiah Booker
School: Booker
Year: Senior
Position: Wide receiver
Highlights: Booker caught 45 passes for 739 yards and six touchdowns. Also rushed 31 times for 285 yards and five scores and completed both his passes for 83 yards and a TD.
Evan Brown
School: Saint Stephen's Episcopal
Year: Senior
Position: Quarterback
Highlights: Brown completed 69-of-154 passes for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns. Also rushed 186 times for 1,515 yards and 19 scores.
Lijah Cecil
School: Venice
Year: Senior
Position: Lineman
Highlights: Cecil blocked for a Venice team that averaged 223 rushing yards and passed for 3,298 yards per game.
Clayton Dees
School: Palmetto
Year: Senior
Position: Quarterback
Highlights: Dees completed 112-of-201 passes for 1,824 yards and 14 touchdowns. Also rushed 50 times for 175 yards and four scores.
Yahshua Edwards
School: Braden River
Year: Junior
Position: Wide receiver
Highlights: Edwards caught 37 passes for 443 yards and four touchdowns. Also rushed 163 times for 967 yards and 15 scores.
Jadyn Glasser
School: Venice
Year: Senior
Position: Quarterback
Highlights: Glasser completed 177-of-291 passes (61 percent) for 2,943 yards and 31 touchdowns. Rushed 84 times for 1,271 yards and 6 scores.
Weston Gruttadauria
School: Riverview
Year: Senior
Position: Lineman
Highlights: Gruttadauria blocked for a Rams’ team that averaged 251 rushing yards and 110 passing yards per game.
Andrew Heidel
School: Manatee
Year: Junior
Position: Quarterback
Highlights: Heidel completed 206-of-318 passes for 2,618 yards and 20 touchdowns. Also had five rushing scores.
DJ Johnson
School: Riverview
Year: Junior
Position: Running back
Highlights: Johnson rushed 233 times for 1,660 yards and 23 touchdowns. Had nine 100-plus yard games. Also caught five passes for 41 yards.
Jaden Judge
School: Bayshore
Year: Senior
Position: Running back
Highlights: Judge rushed 148 times for 1,237 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also caught 10 passes for 211 yards and a score and returned two kickoffs for 43 yards.
Cody Kawcak
School: Braden River
Year: senior
Position: Tight end
Highlights: An exceptional blocker, Kawcak caught 18 passes for 183 yards and four touchdowns.
CJ Lewis
School: Venice
Year: Senior
Position: Wide receiver/returner
Highlights: Lewis caught 51 passes for 950 yards and 10 touchdowns. Also rushed 12 times for 178 yards and a score, returned 12 kickoffs for 426 yards and a TD and five punts for 219 yards.
Rok Lodge
School: Palmetto
Year: Senior
Position: Wide receiver
Highlights: Lodge caught 46 passes for 937 yards and six touchdowns and returned two punts for 75 yards.
Javier Pastor
School: Booker
Year: Senior
Position: Lineman
Highlights: Pastor blocked for a Tornadoes’ team that averaged more than 111 yards per game.
Brunno Reus
School: Braden River
Year: Junior
Position: Kicker/punter
Highlights: Reus booted 88 percent of his 32 kicks in the end zone. He made 33-of-34 PAT kicks. Reus also averaged 42 yards per punt.
Marcus Smith
School: Palmetto
Year: Senior
Position: Lineman
Highlights: Smith blocked for a Tigers’ team that averaged 145 yards on the ground and 203 through the air.
Ryan Sugg
School: Cardinal Mooney Catholic
Year: Senior
Position: Lineman
Highlights: Sugg blocked for a Cougars’ team that averaged 244 rushing yards and 166 passing yards.
Braxton Thomas
School: Riverview
Year: Senior
Position: Quarterback
Highlights: Thomas completed 79-of-151 passes for 1,217 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also rushed 122 times for 510 yards and nine scores.
Lane Tomlinson
School: Parrish Community
Year: Senior
Position: Tight end
Highlights: Tomlinson caught 36 passes for 569 yards and four touchdowns. Also rushed 10 times for 45 yards and five scores.
Jackson Volz
School: Parrish Community
Year: Senior
Position: Quarterback
Highlights: Volz completed 141-of-217 passes for 1,887 yards and 17 touchdowns. Also rushed 57 times for 244 yards and four scores.
Jamarice Wilder
School: Venice
Year: Junior
Position: Running back
Highlights: Wilder carried 149 times for 1,271 yards and 25 touchdowns. Also caught six passes for 75 yards.
HONORABLE MENTION
Zeke Baez, North Port
Jayce Barksdale, Venice
Deandre Berry, Palmetto
Justin Brock, Sarasota Christian School
Anthony Campbell, Riverview
Allen Clark, Out-of-Door Academy
Nate Crosby, Lakewood Ranch
Colton Dempsey, Bradenton Christian School
Simon Freed, Lakewood Ranch
Torey Gilley, Manatee
Brandon Gonzales, Palmetto
Isaac Heaven, Braden River
Ahmad Hunter, Booker
Ty’ron Jackson, Manatee
Alvin Johnson, Venice
Will Kidwell, Lakewood Ranch
Ryan Matulevich, Venice
Jack Meyers, Out-of-Door Academy
Devin Mignery, Cardinal Mooney Catholic
Jackson Mullet, Sarasota
Al Oliver, Riverview
Marvin Palominos, Out-of-Door Academy
Matthew Peavley, Venice
Trayvon Pinder, Manatee
Caleb Rhodes, Bayshore
Kei’Shawn Smith, Manatee
Michael Valentino, Cardinal Mooney Catholic
Majestic van Ingen, Riverview
Cade Weiskopf, Manatee
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jared Clark
School: Cardinal Mooney Catholic
Highlights: In his fourth year with the Cougars, Clark guided Cardinal Mooney to a 12-2 record and the second state championship in program history and first in 51 years. The Cougars defeated Trinity Catholic out of Ocala, 31-27, for the school's first state title since 1972.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Here is the Sarasota Herald-Tribune 2023 All-Area Football Offensive Team
