McClain, Jackson, Hill honored
Seniors earn accolades as area’s top players
Sanford Seminole four-year starting quarterback Timmy McClain was asked to do a little bit of everything during his swan-song season.
The lone returning starter on offense entering his senior year, McClain rose to the occasion as both a passer and rusher while leading his team to the Class 8A state championship during an unbeaten 12-0 run.
“We found different ways to beat teams throughout the season, and for Timmy to do what’s best for the team and kind of mold with us along the way says a lot about his skill set and mental fortitude,” said Seminole coach Eric Lodge. “For an 18-year-old kid to step up and be a leader like he was, and lead his teammates to a state championship in the way he did was impressive.”
McClain, who capped his career with a 40-5 record and more than 8,000 total yards and 96 touchdowns, is the 2020 Orlando Sentinel Varsity football offensive player of the year. The USF signee finished the championship campaign at Tallahassee’s Doak Campbell Stadium by accounting for two touchdowns in a 38-10 win over Kissimmee Osceola.
McClain is joined atop the Sentinel Varsity all-area first team by Edgewater senior Tommi Hill and Boone senior Shambre Jackson. Hill is this year’s Ironman player of the year, indicative of an individual’s all-around impact on a team. Jackson is the all-area defensive player of the year.
Hill hauled in eight passes for 111 yards and returned five kickoffs for 78 yards last month during a 31-21 loss in the 7A state title game against Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. The wide receiver and defensive back, an
“He left such a great legacy on what we want a competitor to be both on the field and in the classroom. He got better and better as a young man each semester he was here, and his competitive spirit on the field is unmatched.”
Arizona State signee, hardly left the field for the Eagles (7-3) while amassing more than 1,400 all-purpose yards and scoring 10 TDs on offense, defense, and special teams.
“He left such a great legacy on what we want a competitor to be both on the field and in the classroom,” said Edgewater coach Cameron Duke. “He got better and better as a young man each semester he was here, and his competitive spirit on the field is unmatched.”
Jackson was a force to be reckoned with at defensive tackle while leading a Boone unit that held opposing teams to just 70 yards rushing per game, forced 31 turnovers and registered 28 sacks.
The Florida State signee set the tone for the Braves (7-3) with 15 tackles-for-loss and nine sacks while missing only three tackles. He also played a part in six turnovers and scored on a fumble return.
“The way we played him at nose tackle, teams had to deal with him every snap of the game. There’s no running away from him and not trying to block him,” said Boone coach Andy Johnson. “You had to have a game plan for that position. He affected every single snap in every game he played when he was on the field.”
— Cameron Duke, Edgewater coach, on Tommi Hill