Jordan Travis gets top honor

Senior QB wins Lou Groza Player of Year

WEST PALM BEACH — The Lamar Jackson parallels are inevitable for Benjamin quarterback Jordan Travis.

Just like Jackson, a Boynton Beach alum, Travis is a standout dualthreat quarterback from Palm Beach County who will soon play collegiate at Louisville.

And just like Jackson, Travis took home Lou Groza Player of the Year honors. On Monday, the Bucs senior quarterback won the coveted honor at the Lou Groza Award Banquet, beating out Palm Beach Central cornerback Akeem Dent and Palm Beach Gardens safety Gurvan Hall.

“It’s a great feeling,” Travis said. “Watching all the guys who had won it on the screen in the past, it’s truly a blessing and I’m very thankful. My coaches and my family supported me through it all and it helped a lot.”

Travis had a stellar senior season for Benjamin, throwing for 2,190 yards and 24 touchdowns, while also rushing for 905 yards and 16 scores.

Forest Hill’s Jude Blessington won the Sam Budnyk Coach of the Year award after leading the Falcons to its first playoff appearance in 21 years. In his fifth year at Forest Hill, Blessington led the school to an 8-2 record with an appearance in the Class 7A regional semifinals. Pahokee’s Orson Walkes and Seminole Ridge’s James Parson were also finalists.

Blessington wasn’t the only Falcon to go home with hardware that night. Christian Rizzo was named High School Kicker of the Year, beating out Suncoast’s Dawson Suncine, Benjamin’s Lowell Carr and Jupiter’s Tanner Nairn.

Forest Hill also took home Team of the Year honors, edging out Oxbridge Academy and Palm Beach Central.