The Buchholz Bobcats had another season to remember in 2023. Buchholz advanced to the state semifinals for the third straight year and came just two points shy of playing for their first state football title since 1990.

The Bobcats were 13-1 and lost a 21-20 heartbreaker to eventual 4S state champion Lakeland in the state semifinal game at Citizens Field.

Despite the close loss, Buchholz had plenty to celebrate about its season as the Bobcats also dominated the Bosshardt Realty Big School All Area offense with seven of the 13 players selected.

Sophomore Trace Johnson was selected at quarterback. The son of former Buchholz and University of Florida standout quarterback Doug Johnson, Trace took over the Buchholz quarterback job from 2022 Mr. Football Creed Whittemore, who’s now at Mississippi State, and hardly skipped a beat.

Johnson completed 60% of his passes for 2,844 yards, averaging 203 yards passing per game, and threw 35 touchdowns to only 13 interceptions.

“What an impressive season for Trace,” Buchholz head coach Chuck Bell said. “Replacing the position of a player like Creed Whittemore brings a lot of pressure and expectations. Trace handled it with poise and performed at a level higher than anyone could ever expect for a sophomore quarterback playing against the toughest competition in the state.”

Senior running back Quinton Cutler is in the backfield for the All Area team, running behind three of his teammates on the offensive line in Perris Sylvester, Dylan Lloyd and Kain McDonald.

Cutler rushed for 1,181 yards, 6.7 yards per carry and 16 touchdowns and added another 35 receptions for 502 yards and five more scores.

“Quinton embodies what it means to be a Buchholz Bobcat,” Bell said. “His competitive spirit and love for the team were on full display each week. His career numbers stack up against any running back that has ever played at Buchholz.”

More than half the All Area offensive line comes from Buchholz, led by senior Sylvester.

“Perris was a two-year starter on our offensive line,” Bell added. “He did a phenomenal job in pass protection for us and was universally loved by his teammates. He became a team captain for us and when he played his best, our offense operated at its best.”

Lloyd, a senior, and McDonald, a junior, join Sylvester on the offensive line.

“Dylan has been our most consistent offensive lineman over the last two seasons,” Bell said. “He started 28 consecutive games for us and was a force at offensive tackle for our team.

“Kain (McDonald) made an immediate impact on our team after enrolling at Buchholz this summer,” Bell said. “He’s a leader on the field and the weight room who refused to be outworked by anyone. As center in our offense, he has a lot of the responsibility for calling pass protections and did a phenomenal job helping protect our quarterback this season. His versatility and tenacity at center will make him one of the best offensive linemen in the state in 2024,”

Sophomore wide receiver Justin Williams joins Columbia’s Camdon Frier as the two All Area wide receivers.

Williams caught 53 balls for 1,005 yards, averaging 19 yards a catch, along with 17 touchdowns.

“Justin’s breakout sophomore season was a direct result of hard work and a phenomenal ‘team-first’ attitude,” Bell said. “His touchdowns and 1,000 yards are obviously impressive, but the unselfish things he does for our team like blocking and playing special teams make him stand out.”

The final Buchholz All-Area offensive representative is senior kicker Jay Giunta. Giunta was nearly perfect in 2023 for the Bobcats, making 16-of-17 field goals with a long of 48 yards and 46-of-48 extra points.

“Jay was one of the best kickers in the state of Florida this season. His consistency paired with his ability to hit 40-plus yard field goals made him one of our most dangerous offensive targets,” Bell said.

Bradford (Starke) had a season similar to Buchholz, going 14-1 and finishing as the 2S state runner-up to Cocoa. The Tornadoes made their first state championship game appearance since 1985 and came up just short of their first state title since 1966, losing 20-6 to Cocoa in Tallahassee.

The Tornadoes place multiple members on the Big School All Area offense with senior athlete Dae’jon Shanks and sophomore offensive lineman Kyren Green.

Shanks played most of his career as a dual-threat quarterback and in 2023 rushed for 1,104 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground and passed for 1,360 yards with 18 TD’s and only two interceptions.

Frier, who transferred from Suwannee (Live Oak) to Columbia, joins Williams as the big school offensive wide receivers. Columbia was only 4-6 this fall but advanced to the 3S playoffs. Frier, a senior, caught 45 passes for 640 yards and six touchdowns, along with 867 all-purpose yards, for the Tigers.

Suwannee’s senior running back Marquavious Owens joins Cutler in the All Area backfield. Owens rushed for 1,013 yards, averaging 113 yards a game with six 100-yard games and nine touchdowns for the Bulldogs, who finished 6-4 and advanced to the 2S playoffs.

Eastside had an 8-4 season and won a district title for the second straight year, being bounced by eventual 2S state runner-up Bradford in the regional semifinal. The Rams are represented by senior offensive lineman Ae’Nali Brown, who blocked the way for an Eastside attack that averaged 260 yards per game.

The final member of the offense is Keystone Heights senior punter Connor Guy. Guy averaged 37.5 yards a punt with a long of 57 yards and 10 punts inside the 20-yard line for the Indians, who advanced to the 2S playoffs. 

Big School Offense

QB – Trace Johnson, Buchholz (So.)

RB – Quinton Cutler, Buchholz (Sr.)

RB – Marquavious Owens, Suwannee (Sr.)

WR – Camdon Frier, Columbia (Sr.)

WR – Justin Williams, Buchholz (So.)

ATH – Dae’jon Shanks, Bradford (Sr.)

OL – Perris Sylvester, Buchholz (Sr.)

OL – Dylan Lloyd, Buchholz (Sr.)

OL – Kain McDonald, Buchholz (Jr.)

OL – Kyren Green, Bradford (So.)

OL – Ae’Nali Brown, Eastside (Sr.)

K – Jay Giunta, Buchholz (So.)

P – Connor Guy, Keystone Heights (Sr.)

Honorable mentions

Bradford (Starke) – Chalil Cummings (WR, Sr.), Willie Pollard (RB, Sr.), Brian Cliffin III (RB, Jr.), Jeremiah McKenzie (ATH, Jr.), Jorden Daniels (OL, Sr.)

Buchholz – Jordan Richardson (WR, Sr.), Myles Graham (RB, Sr.), Marquis Hardy (OL, Sr.), Joshua Alexander (OL, Jr.), Peter Neubert (P, Sr.)

Columbia (Lake City) – Zackery Grimes (OL, So.), Bynton Edge (WR, Jr.), Zamarion Jones (ATH., Jr.), Jonathan Edwards (RB, So.), Ronaldo Dominguez Jayo (P, Jr.)

Eastside – Joshua Benjamin (RB, Sr.), Antonio Hubbert (WR, Sr.), Jaquez Whitehead (OL, Jr.), Antoneo Wilson (WR, Sr.), Adrian Curtis (QB, Jr.), Daijon Johnson (WR, Jr.)

Gainesville – Aiden Bell (OL, Jr.), Taylor Richardson (OL, Jr.), Matt Williams (WR, Jr.), Caleb Young (RB, So.), Kane Smith (QB, Sr.)

Keystone Heights – Cartez Daniels (RB, Sr.), Baylor Ford (QB, So.), Wyatt Van Zant (WR, Sr.), Andru Siemer (WR, Sr.), Luke Bacorn (OL, So.), Tyler Duncan (OL, Jr.), Tyler Sapp (K, So.)

Santa Fe (Alachua) – Ben Hockman (WR, So.), Erik Hockman (QB, So.), Matthew Johnson (WR, So.), Keimarion Neal (RB, So.), Samuel Lopez (OL, So.)

Suwannee (Live Oak) – Andrew Harrell (OL, Sr.), Jace Moran (K/P, Fr.), Kodi Lang (QB, Sr.), Koy Frier (ATH, Fr.), Jace Moran (K/P, Fr.), Justice Leggett (OL, Sr.)