Passing Grade: Meet The Ledger's 2023 All-County Football Offense
There's no doubt that Polk County boasts strong talent at quarterback. Both big school and small school offensive players of the year, Zander Smith and Carson Montsdeoca, are quarterbacks, and five more were named to the second and third teams. The position was so deep that Auburndale sophomore Chad Williams and Victory Christian's Jackson Benton, both of whom passed for more than 1,200 yards, ended up on honorable mention. Of the top quarterbacks, all are underclassmen with the exception of Montsdeoca, Benton and Mulberry's Dai Dai McWilliams.
BIG SCHOOL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Zander Smith
Lakeland, Junior
6-4, 210
Quarterback
In addition to leading the Dreadnaughts to their ninth state title, Smith set two Lakeland single season passing records and tied another. He completed 140 of 202 passes for a record 1,920 yards and tied the record with 23 touchdown passes. His 69.1 percent completion percentage was another record.
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SMALL SCHOOL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Carson Montsdeoca
Fort Meade, Senior
Quarterback
Montsdeoca will play college baseball at Florida, but he also showed his skill as one of the most prolific passers in the county. He completed 95 of 141 passes (67.4 percent) for 1,503 yards and 21 touchdowns with just six interceptions.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Marvin Frazier
Lakeland
Frazier led Lakeland to its ninth state title in his first year as head coach, but he had to guide his team through a lot of adversity because of injuries, even in the championship game. When the Dreadnaughts were missing players, they were well-prepared to make adjustments and adapt, including in the state championship game when quarterback Zander Smith was injured.
FIRST TEAM
Rashad Orr
Lake Wales, Senior
5-9, 175
Running Back
184 carries, 1,525 yards, 12 TDs
Keveun Mason
Fort Meade, Senior
5-10, 178
Running Back
148 carries, 1,334 yards, 15 TDs
Fentrell Graham
Lake Gibson, Senior
5-11, 187
Running Back
184 carries, 1,525 yards, 12 TDs
Guiseann Mirtil
Winter Haven, Senior
6-3, 220
Tight End
19 receptions, 221 yards, 3 TD
Jamar Taylor Jr.
Lake Wales, Senior
6-2, 195
Wide Receiver
41 receptions, 594 yards, 6 TDs
Kaneilius Purdy
Lake Wales, Freshman
6-1, 190
Wide Receiver
30 receptions, 681 yards, 10 TDs; 1,361 all-purpose yards, 14 total touchdowns
Kooper Jones
Victory Christian, Senior
5-8, 150
Wide Receiver
45 receptions, 600 yards, 4 TDs
Caleb Stokes
Lakeland, Senior
6-0, 270
Offensive Line
47 pancake blocks
Rusty Watts
Lake Wales, Junior
6-2, 245
Offensive Line
24 pancake blocks
Trent Turner
Lake Wales, Junior
6-2, 280
Offensive Line
34 pancake blocks
Ethan McArthur
Kathleen, Junior
6-0, 235
Offensive Line
Also excelled on defensive line
Jermaine Mills
Mulberry, Senior
Led team in blocking, crush blocks and grade out
Rick Penick
Lakeland, Senior
5-9, 160
Athlete
32 receptions, 464 yards, 5 TDs; 2-3-0, 129, 2 TD passing
SECOND TEAM
Brycen Levidiotis
Lake Wales, Junior
Quarterback
DJ Duvalt
Mulberry, Senior
Running Back
Lakeland Christian, Junior
Running Back
Ke’Shon Tyler
Haines City, Senior
Running Back
Ben Beymer
Lakeland, Junior
Offensive Line
Parker Peacock
Lakeland Christian, Junior
Offensive Line
Damian Silva
Fort Meade, Senior
Offensive Line
Marc Michel
Ridge Community, Junior
Offensive Line
Cedrick Carter
Winter Haven
Offensive Line
Josh Porter
Fort Meade, Senior
Wide Receiver
Kordell Lewis
Lake Gibson, Senior
Wide Receiver
Sam Frederking
George Jenkins, Junior
Tight End
Dawon Reid
Lake Region, Senior
Tight End
Jaysean Pritchard
Auburndale, Junior
Athlete
Joel Morris
Lake Gibson, Sophomore
Athlete
THIRD TEAM
John Kostuch
Winter Haven, Junior
Quarterback
Eddie Lake
George Jenkins, Junior
Running Back
D'Marius Rucker
Lakeland, Senior
Running Back
Alfred Smothers
Winter Haven, Senior
Running Back
Jamarius Knight
Haines City, Senior
Wide Receiver
Gabriel LeGrand
Lake Wales, Sophomore
Wide Receiver
Ryan Screen
Fort Meade, Senior
Wide Receiver
Elijah Blevins
Victory Christian, Senior
Offensive Line
Michael Brown
Fort Meade, Senior
Offensive Line
Jayden Gammage
Frostproof, Junior
Offensive Line
Kenron McNeil
Lakeland, Junior
Offensive Line
Robert Newman
Lake Gibson, Junior
Offensive Line
Magnus Darrington
All Saints, Senior
Athlete
Dai Dai McWilliams
Mulberry, Senior
Athlete
Cameron Turner
George Jenkins, Junior
Athlete
HONORABLE MENTION
All Saints: ATH/RB Trey Bell, WR Claudarius Bell, K Andrew Foppe.
Auburndale: QB Chad Williams, RB Camyron Underwood.
Bartow: WR Kamarion Thomas.
Davenport: QB Aiden George, WR Carl Jean.
Fort Meade: OL Ty Montsedeoca.
Frostproof: QB Daiveon Pittman, RB Donovan Soloman, WR Eddie Gammage, RB Landon Fuller, OL Hunter Brantley, TE Liam Howard.
George Jenkins: WR Ethan Ricks, RB Reagan Korlacki, OL Dylan Williams, OL Jon Schambach, OL George Dietrick, WR Tyvion Buford.
Haines City: QB Deonte Fielder.
Jordan Christian Prep: Ath Bryan Moore.
Kathleen: WR Ben Brito, ATH Anthony Oldham, OL Bocephus Miller, PK Luis Gonzalez.
Lake Gibson: WR Rickeem Armstrong, WR Derrick McBride.
Lake Region: QB Kalvin Johnson, RB Iverson Brandon, ATH BJ McKinney.
Lake Wales: WR Jayden Johnson, Cardayle Brantley, PK Juan Hernandez.
Lakeland: WR Pat Dennis, RB Jadarius Dobie, PK Calum Muldoon.
Lakeland Christian: QB DJ Howard, RB Killan O'Neal, OL Truman St. John, WR Tate Horne, OL Brent Curtis, OL Brody Davis, OL James Gray, PK Adrian Villanueva.
Mulberry: Ath Lloyd Knight, TE Brian Mapp.
Ridge Community: QB Rocky Pieriche.
Santa Fe Catholic: Ath Jayden McPherson, OL Riley Cooper.
Tenoroc: QB/RB Jaidon Furman, WR Brandon Ashlock, WR Sean Dickerson, OL Gabriel Millman.
Victory Christian: QB Jackson Benton, Elijah Blevins, OL Avante Etheridge, OL Gavin Priest.
Winter Haven: WR Ora Farlow IV, ATH Ja'tavious Scaife.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Meet The Ledger's 2023 All-County Football Offense
