Timber Creek, Seminole seniors snare top honors
The Orlando Touchdown Club presented high school football player of the year awards to Timber Creek’s Jake Johnson and Seminole’s Jordan Smith on Monday at the Dubsdread ballroom in College Park.
Johnson led the Wolves (10-2) to a district title while throwing for 1,241 yards and 15 touchdowns with no interceptions in the regular season. Smith led Seminole (11-1) with 110 total tackles at linebacker and six rushing touchdowns on just 15 carries.
The seniors met on the field during the Class 8A region semifinals, which Seminole won 17-10 on Nov. 15.
“We got to know each other pretty good in that game,” Johnson said of Smith, eliciting a chorus of laughs. “He was everywhere.”
Johnson’s breakout season came one year after being sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. He was then diagnosed with diabetes following the first game of the season, which forced him to miss Timber Creek’s 24-14 loss against Dr. Phillips.
Smith, listed at 5-foot-10, 220 pounds, missed the second half of his sophomore season with a broken hand. He emerged as a team leader as a junior last season and finished with Seminole’s longest touchdown run as a senior in 2019.
“At this point I’ve realized size really doesn’t matter,” Smith told those in attendance. “Many people didn’t think [I could get an award like this] because I’m a shorter person, so I’d just say, ‘Put the ball down [and] let’s play.’ ”
Timber Creek’s Jimmy Buckridge received the Orlando Touchdown Club’s coach of the year award. The Wolves had won just four games each of the past two seasons.
Jones coach Elijah Williams was presented with the inaugural Coach Ed Kershner Leadership and Excellence in Coaching
Award, named after the former Oviedo and Osceola high basketball coach. Kershner, a 900-game winner, is a long-standing member of the touchdown club.
Williams leads the Tigers into the Class 5A state championship game against Miami Northwestern on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Daytona Stadium.
Apopka, which defeated Seminole in the region finals, faces Miami Columbus for the 8A state title on Friday at 7 p.m. Edgewater plays Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in the 7A state final on Saturday at 7 p.m.