Sydney Ford of Western & her coach win state flag football honors. Plus track & volleyball info

Senior quarterback Sydney Ford of Class 2A state champion Western High School has been named the Florida Dairy Farmers 2022 Miss Flag Football, and Western coach James O’Brien has been named the 2022 Flag Football Coach of the Year.

Ford, the Class 2A Player of the Year, led Western to the Class 2A state title by completing 307-of-423 passes for 3,089 yards with 50 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions. She also rushed for 355 yards with six touchdowns and on defense had 75 tackles and three interceptions.

Class 1A Player of the Year honors went to senior quarterback Lonesha Howell of 1A state semifinalist Edison High School. She completed 363-of-438 passes for 3,809 yards with 48 TDs and six interceptions. She also rushed for 463 yards with 14 TDs and had 38 tackles and nine interceptions on defense.

O’Brien led Western to its first state title with a 19-0 record, beating 2021 state champion Newsome, 34-14, in the Class 2A championship game. In 12 years, O’Brien has posted a 131-20 record.

Joshua Saunders was named Class 1A Coach of the Year after leading Robinson to a 21-1 record and its sixth straight championship. In 16 years at Robinson he has won seven state titles while compiling a 211-28 record.

The Florida Dairy Farmers Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 30th year of these unique awards as it honors the state’s top athletes and coaches in all 32 FHSAA sanctioned sports.

Track & Field honors

Nominees for state Miss Track, Mr. Track and Coaches of the Year under the Florida Dairy Farmers banner were recently revealed.

They include state champions from the area.

GIRLS: 4A: Jassani Carter (Flanagan) Sr, 100M Champion (11.59), 200M Champion (23.43) 3rd 4x400 relay; Penelope Sosa (Coral Park) Sr, 3200M Champion (10:59.28); Tamaiah Koonce (North Miami) Sr, Discus Champion (159-10). 3A: Aaliyah Butler (Northwestern) Sr, 400M Champion (53.42); Cha’iel Johnson (St. Thomas Aquinas) Jr, 800M Champion (2:08.35); Paris Baker (Northwestern) Sr, 300M Hurdles Champion (42.75); Coach Carmen Jackson (Northwestern) Champion; Erin McCray (Southridge) State runner-up. 2A: Aleesa Samuel (Somerset Academy-Pembroke Pines) Fr, 100M Hurdles Champion (13.73). 1A: Coach Damian Sutton (Chaminade-Madonna) State runner-up.

BOYS: 4A: Darren McQueen (Columbus) Sr, 100M Champion (10.56); Nathan Metellus (Deerfield Beach) Sr, 400M Champion (47.37); Hasmar Francois (McArthur) Sr, High Jump Champion (6-5 1/2); Shaddai Carter (Columbus) Fr, Long Jump Champion (23-4 1/2); Coach Daniel Areces (Columbus) State runner-up. 3A: Chris Johnson (Dillard) Jr, 100M Champion (10.45), 200M Champion (20.78); King Mack (St. Thomas Aquinas) Jr, 400M Champion (46.68); Adam Magoulas (Belen Jesuit) Sr, 1600M Champion (4:13.16); Damario Allen (Dillard) Sr, Pole Vault Champion (15-1); Kyvon Tatham (Pembroke Pines Charter) Sr, Long Jump Champion (23-10.25), Triple Jump Champion (48-11); Armondo Blount (Dillard) Fr, Shot Put Champion (54-1); Coach Alex Armenteros (St. Thomas Aquinas) Champion; Coach Davidson Gill (Dillard) State runner-up. 2A: Byron Holt (Jackson) Jr, 110M Hurdles Champion (14.24); Avondre Walters (Pompano Beach) Sr, 300M Hurdles Champion (38.26); Ty Noble (Calvary Christian) Sr, Pole Vault Champion (14-9). 1A: Brandon Pottinger (Palmer Trinity) Sr, High Jump Champion (6-11 1/2); Coach Damian Sutton (Chaminade-Madonna) State runner-up.

Boys’ volleyball all-star game

The South defeated the North 24-26, 25-17, 27-25, 25-19 at the 2022 BCAA Senior All-Star Boys’ Volleyball Classic at Coral Springs High School.

North MVP: Gino Briglio (Cardinal Gibbons HS). South MVP: Mason Martindale (Flanagan HS).

Awards, honors, college signings

If you have local, state, national and/or team awards for your varsity student athletes, email hssports@miamiherald.com.

College signings, too.

New athletic directors, coaches

For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have new sports administration and/or coaching hires to announce, email hssports@miamiherald.com.

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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone

jvarsallone@miamiherald.com

Jim Varsallone

Miami Herald

305-376-3621

Jim Varsallone writes a high school sports column twice a week, featuring top performers in all varsity sports (boys and girls) in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. He also covers pro wrestling, something he’s done since his college days in the late 1980s. Now in his fifth decade of coverage, he currently follows WWE (Raw, SmackDown and NXT), AEW, Ring of Honor, TNA Impact Wrestling, MLW, WOW, NWA, and the South Florida indies, mainly CCW. He writes MMA, too -- mostly profile stories and video interviews with American Top Team and Sanford MMA fighters in South Florida. As for pro wrestling, he writes feature stories and profile pieces, updates upcoming show schedules in South Florida, photographs the action and interviews talent (audio and video) -- sharing the content here and via social media on his Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channel: jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel). Support my work with a digital subscription