American Heritage’s Mark Fletcher is Broward 2M-1M Football Offensive Player of the Year
Mark Fletcher had already established himself as one of Broward County’s top running backs — if not the top running back in the county — entering his senior year at Plantation American Heritage.
So, naturally, Fletcher took his game to yet another level in his final year with the Patriots, who finished as state runnersup in Class 2M to Miami Central. It’s why Fletcher is the Miami Herald’s
2022 Broward 2M-1M Football Offensive Player of the Year.
On a team filled with top-tier talent, Fletcher found a way to stand out and, at times, put the team on his shoulders as he used his blend of power and speed to be a threat just about any time the ball was in his hands.
In his final high school season, Fletcher racked up 1,934 rushing yards on 226 carries (8.6 yards per carry) and 23 touchdowns, while also adding 157 receiving yards and another
touchdown on 13 catches.
For his high school career, Fletcher had 4,443 yards and 49 touchdowns on 576 carries (7.7 yards per carry) and 46 catches for 639 receiving yards and four more touchdowns.
“I feel like I really opened a lot of eyes this
year,” Fletcher said, “but there’s still a lot more eyes to open.”
He’ll look to open those eyes with the Miami Hurricanes. He signed with UM last month during the early signing period.
“Why not The U? Why not? It’s home,” Fletcher, a four-star prospect and the ninth-ranked running
back in the Class of 2023 according to the 247
Sports composite ranking, said at his signing ceremony. “The coaches have really been on me since the eighth grade. When things started to fall down, they relied on me to just make the program better again. I told them before I just admired their hunger
to get Miami back to the top. They feel like I can really help them do that. I want to go show that I can do that and I want to show the world that I can do that.”
It’s the latest step of a lifelong dream.
Fletcher started playing football when he was 7 and grew up admiring and trying to emulate six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy (“I just like the way he makes people miss — even though I probably can’t do it as good as him,” Fletcher said through a laugh.)
“I think I was just born to be a football player,” Fletcher said. “I don’t like to do anything else. They might knock down onesport athletes, but I don’t care.
“I’m a one-sport athlete. I love football. That’s just what I do. I was born to play the game.”
With his college career on the horizon, Fletcher noted there was one specific aspect he tried to improve.
“My mental IQ and learning the game,” Fletcher said. “It’s not just physical.
“I learned that the mental part is just as important and that’s what I wanted to focus on going into college. The smartest players are going to play. Everything will be physical at some point, but you need the mental part to back it up.”