Florida Dairy Farmers program honors Jack Hershman of Southwest, Justin Puppo of Doral Academy
Senior outside hitter Jack Hershman of Southwest Miami High School is the Florida Dairy Farmers 2021 Mr. Volleyball, voted best in the state.
Hershman helped his team to a 26-5 record and a state runner-up finish, by recording 389 kills, 139 digs, 87 aces and 35 blocks. He totaled a match-leading 29 kills in the state title match.
Southwest Coach Alain Suarez said: “This year he was our leader. He was an essential part of our offense. Overall he was our best player. When you have a player that is so determined to help all those around him, it makes a great captain.”
Hershman, the Miami Herald All Dade Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year, signed to play volleyball with NCAA Division I St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York.
Suarez said: “Jack always a very hard working kid. Ever since I met him as a freshman, he would be the first one in the gym and the last one out. He will always ask to either come in early and work on his server receive or stay after and work on hitting. He always was going the extra mile to be a better volleyball player. Off the court he is an exceptional student and a great mentor as well.”
(Orlando) Freedom High School’s Gina McFerren is the 2021 Boys’ Volleyball Coach of the Year.
McFerren -- in her eighth year as head coach at Freedom after winning 369 games in 17 seasons as the girls’ volleyball coach at Oak Ridge -- posted a 181-36 record with the boys’ program at Freedom in 2021. After winning the state title in 2019 and getting canceled in 2020 because of Covid 19, Freedom won the 2021 championship with a come-from-behind victory over Southwest in the state finals 23-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-13.
The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 29th year of these unique awards as they honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in all 30 FHSAA sanctioned and recognized sports.
The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
Tennis state recipients
Justin Puppo of Doral Academy swept the 2021 Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year state awards under the Florida Dairy Farmers banner.
Puppo, who was named the overall state Girls’ Coach of the Year in 2019, repeated the honor this year and added the top boys’ coaching honor to his resume after leading Doral Academy to its first Class 3A state boys’ title.
During the regular season his 3A boys’ squad defeated No.1 nationally ranked (Boca Raton) St. Andrew’s (the eventual Class 1A state champ) in a dual match. On the girls’ side, Puppo’s team won Doral Academy’s third straight state title, was ranked No.1 nationally and stretched its winning streak to 50 matches dating to 2017.
“I am very honored to be awarded the Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year by the Florida Dairy Farmers,” said Puppo, who was eligible for overall state honors after being selected the state’s Class 3A coach of the year for boys and girls.
“I would like to thank the whole voting committee who selected me and who recognized our tennis program’s many accomplishments this season. A lot of hard work went into this season, and this award is a testament to all the outstanding student athletes, parents and administration at Doral Academy who helped me make it happen.”
The finalists for the overall boys’ coaching award also included Class 4A Coach of the Year Carlos Maehama of Dr. Krop, Class 2A Coach of the Year Corey Marsh of Pine Crest and Class 1A Coach of the Year Reid Rafter of (Boca Raton) St. Andrew’s.
Class 4A Coach of the Year Robert Heinrich of (Boca Raton) Spanish River, Class 2A Coach of the Year Toby Croke of Plantation American Heritage and Class 1A Coach of the Year Reid Rafter of (Boca Raton) St. Andrew’s were also finalists for the overall girls’ coaching award.
Senior Sara Snyder of (Boca Raton) St. Andrew’s School was named 2021 Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Tennis and Spruce Creek senior Sami Ozzor was named 2021 Mr. Tennis.
Other girls’ finalists included Class 4A Player of the Year Cadence Brace of Stoneman Douglas, Class 3A Player of the Year Valeria Ray of Doral Academy and Class 2A Player of the Year Akasha Urhobo of Pine Crest.
Other boys’ finalists included Class 2A Player of the Year Jamie Corsillo of Pine Crest.
Puppo was also the Miami Herald All Dade Coach of the Year in boys’ and girls’ tennis. Maehama of Krop shared that boys’ honor with Puppo. Marsh was the Miami Herald All Broward Boys’ Tennis Coach of the Year and Croke the Miami Herald All Broward Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year.
Brace was the Miami Herald All Broward Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year, and Corsillo the Miami Herald All Broward Boys’ Tennis Player of the Year. Ray was the Miami Herald All Dade Girls’ Tennis Player of the Year.
Miami Herald awards distribution
The Miami Herald Athletic Awards (Broward and Miami Dade) will be distributed Thursday, June 17 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Charles F. Dodge City Center in Pembroke Pines, 601 City Center Way, Pembroke Pines 33025.
The Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards (Broward and Miami Dade) will also be distributed simultaneously. There will be signage identifying the different sections for the awards.
This can be a long drive for some, but the goal was to identify a place midway between Broward and Miami-Dade counties to accommodate all the award recipients (first-team athletes, overall winners per sport, top coach per sport, athletes of the year, coaches of the year, two Courage Awards, two Lifetime Achievement Awards, and the special recognition of Coach George Smith).
The awards will be organized by sport, not by school, akin to the ceremonies.
There are more than 990 medals and awards, and there was a little more creativity, personalizing them this year.
To confirm the names of the first-team student athletes and coaches from your school that will receive a medal or award, visit the following All County Special Sections Links:
For Trophies:
Top high school athletes, coaches honored at Miami Herald’s All-County Awards ceremony - https://www.miamiherald.com/article251669268.html
For Medals - only the all first-team athletes in the following sections should stop by to pick up their medals next Thursday, June 17th:
- Spring 2021 All-County teams: The best of Miami-Dade and Broward - https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/high-school/all-county-sports/article251623678.html
- Winter 2021 All-County teams: The best of Miami-Dade and Broward - https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/high-school/all-county-sports/article250592424.html
- Fall 2020 All-County teams: The best of Miami-Dade and Broward - https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/high-school/all-county-sports/article249263620.html
For information or questions, email:
jechavarria@miamiherald.com.
Submit info on award winners and all-star games
For high schools in Broward and Miami Dade counties, if you have coaches and athletes who won special awards (local, state, regional, nationals) and/or competed in all-star games, email hssports@miamiherald.com. Varsity only.
Spring football
High School football teams can submit spring football top performers to us at hssports@miamiherald.com. Include game score for each team and top performers from your team with school year (junior, sophomore, etc.) and position(s). Stats optional.
Submit summer sports results
For summer sports with high school athletes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have results and stats for this column, email hssports<code_dp>@<code_dp>miami<code_dp>herald.com.
For club teams and individuals, include the high school(s) of the student athlete(s).
This is open to participants in summer sports leagues, events and tournaments who are current high school athletes, those who graduated in 2021 and those who will be freshmen in the fall.
Email hssports<code_dp>@miami<code_dp>herald.com.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
