Cocoa quarterback, Texas A&M signee Brady Hart named Mr. Football

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Quarterback Brady Hart, who helped lead the Cocoa High School football team to its third straight state title, has been named the 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Football following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school football coaches and media representatives.

Hart, who was previously selected as the Class 2A Player of the Year, completed 265-of-360 passes for 4,360 yards and 40 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

He was a junior during the 2024 season but reclassified into the 2025 recruiting cycle. He signed with Texas A&M University in December and has enrolled at the school for the upcoming semester.

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His favorite target this season was Jayvan Boggs (99 catches for 2,133 yards and 21 TDs), last year’s Mr. Football who edged Buchholz running back/linebacker and University of Florida signee Myles Graham, last year’s Class 4S Player of the Year, 107-98, to win the award in 2023.

Last year, Graham was second on the Bobcats with 82 tackles and he was third on the team with nine tackles for a loss. He also added three sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.

The two-way player rushed for 598 yards on 62 carries (9.65 yards per carry), including 204 yards and a career-best 97-yard touchdown run in the 4S-District 3 opener against Creekside (St. Johns).

Two years ago, Buchholz quarterback Creed Whittemore was named Mr. Football after completing 179-of-305 passes for 2,693 yards with 35 touchdowns and 7 interceptions for the state semifinalist Bobcats. He also rushed for 1,285 yards (8.29 yards per carry) and 17 TDs.

The 4S POY also had six interceptions on defense.

When Whittemore received the Mr. Football trophy, it marked the first time that a football player from Alachua County had won the prestigious award, which has been given annually since 1992 to the best overall football player in the Sunshine State.

He received 15 of the 25 first-place votes.

Meanwhile, Hart received 10 of the 22 first-place votes and finished with 131 total points to win the award this season.

Cocoa High School became the first school in the 33-year history of the award to have back-to-back winners, and the second school with multiple Mr. Football honorees, joining Pahokee High School (Anquan Boldin in 1998 and Antone Smith in 2004).

University of Louisville signee Jamarice Wilder, a senior running back from Venice who was previously named the 7A Player of the Year, finished second in the voting with 106 points.

This past season Wilder led the Indians to a 14-1 record and the Class 7A state title by rushing for 1,919 yards on 192 carries (10.0 avg.) with 28 TDs and added a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Class 6A Player of the Year Taevion Swint, a senior running back who led Osceola (Kissimmee) to a state runner-up finish, was third in the voting.

Swint, who led the Kowboys to a 12-3 record, rushed for 1,915 yards on 198 carries (9.7 avg.) with 26 TDs.

In a head-to-head showdown against Buchholz junior Justin Williams, who was runner-up for the 6A POY, the University of Central Florida signee rushed for 199 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries (9.5 avg.) in a 41-35 win against the Bobcats (10-4) in the 6A state semifinals.

Williams, who finished with 1,473 yards receiving on 85 catches with 13 touchdowns and over 1,000 yards rushing, had 11 catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns against the Kowboys.

Teddy Bridgewater of Miami Northwestern High School was named the 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Football Coach of the Year.

The Northwestern alum, who was in his first year of coaching after playing in the NFL for 10 years, led the Bulls to a 12-2 record and the Class 3A state championship. It was Northwestern’s eighth state title overall, but its first since winning three straight titles from 2017-19.

Bridgewater, who returned to the NFL on Dec. 26 after signing a contract with the Detroit Lions, received eight first-place votes and 132 points to finish ahead of Class 6A COY Dylan Potts of West Boca Raton, who picked up six first-place votes and 94 points to finish as the runner-up.

2024 FINAL MR. FOOTBALL VOTING RESULTS (Note: Points awarded on a 10-7-5 basis)

Player, Total Points, 1st, 2nd, 3rd

Brady Hart, Cocoa, 131, 10, 3, 2

Jamarice Wilder, Venice, 106, 4, 8, 2

Taevion Swint, Osceola (Kissimmee), 56, 2, 3, 3

Vernell Brown III, Jones, 44, 0, 2, 6

Andrew Indorf, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale), 34, 2, 2, 0

Jershaun Newton, Clearwater Central Catholic, 30, 2, 0, 2                

Leon Strawder, Northwestern (Miami), 25, 2, 0, 1                                                      

Jackson Stecher, The Master’s Academy, 20, 0, 0, 4        

Jason McDaniel, Madison County, 14, 0, 2, 0    

Past Mr. Football Winners:

1992 – Jammi German, Ft. Myers

1993 – Shevin Wiggins, Bradenton Manatee

1994 – Daunte Culpepper, Ocala Vanguard

1995 – Frankie Franklin, Jacksonville Sandalwood

1996 – Travis Henry, Frostproof

1997 – Zain Gilmore, Tampa Robinson

1998 – Anquan Boldin, Pahokee

1999 – Willie Green, Kissimmee Osceola

2000 – Adrian McPherson, Bradenton Southeast

2001 – Leon Washington, Jacksonville Jackson

2002 – Andre Reese, Pierson Taylor

2003 – Xavier Lee, Daytona Seabreeze

2004 – Antone Smith, Pahokee

2005 – Tim Tebow, Ponte Vedra Nease

2006 – Robert Marve, Tampa Plant

2007 – Jacory Harris, Miami Northwestern

2008 – A.J. Graham, Tallahassee Godby

2009 – Matt Elam, Palm Beach Gardens William T. Dwyer

2010 – Quentin Williams, Tampa Jefferson

2011 – Randy “Duke” Johnson, Miami Norland

2012 – Derrick Henry, Yulee High School

2013 – Dalvin Cook, Miami Booker T. Washington

2014 – D’Andre Johnson, Jacksonville First Coast

2015 – DeShawn Smith, Brooksville Nature Coast Tech

2016 – Nick Tronti, Ponte Vedra

2017 – Bryce Carpenter, Venice

2018 – Carson Beck, Jacksonville Mandarin

2019 – Demarkcus Bowman, Lakeland

2020 – Trey Wainwright, Niceville

2021 – Jaylon Glover, Lakeland Lake Gibson

2022 – Creed Whittemore, Gainesville Buchholz

2023 – Jayvan Boggs, Cocoa

2024 FINAL COY VOTING RESULTS (Note: Points awarded on a 10-7-5 basis)

Player, Total Points, 1st, 2nd, 3rd

Teddy Bridgewater, Northwestern, 132, 8, 6, 2              

Dylan Potts, West Boca Raton, 94, 6, 2, 4

John Peacock, Venice, 58, 2, 4, 2 

Price Harris, Madison County, 50, 4, 0, 2

Roger Harriott, St. Thomas Aquinas, 36, 0, 3, 3

Garrett Kruczek, The Master’s Academy, 29, 1, 2, 1

Dameon Jones, Chaminade-Madonna, 27, 1, 1, 2                         

Russell Ellington, Gadsden County, 24, 0, 2, 2

Mike Smith, American Heritage, 10, 0, 0, 2                              

Past Football Coaches of the Year:

1992 – Wally Dunne, Coral Springs

1993 – Paul Maechtle, Bradenton Southeast

1994 – Rod Shafer, Lake Wales

1995 – Bob Withrow, Jacksonville Sandalwood

1996 – Robby Pruitt, Lake Butler Union County

1997 – Danny Green, Lake City Columbia

1998 – Bill Castle, Lakeland

1999 – Milton Watson, Belle Glade Glades Central

2000 – Nick Coleman, Venice

2001 – Al Morrell, Clewiston

2002 – Richard Wood, Tampa Wharton

2003 – Bill Kramer, Naples

2004 – Bill Castle, Lakeland

2005 – Joey Wiles, St. Augustine

2006 – Robert Weiner, Tampa Plant

2007 – Billy Rolle, Miami Northwestern

2008 – Robert Weiner, Tampa Plant

2009 – John Wilkinson, Cocoa

2010 – Dale Salapa, Orlando Dr. Phillips

2011 – Robert Craft, Tallahassee North Florida Christian

2012 – Tim Harris, Sr., Miami Booker T. Washington

2013 – Tim Harris, Sr., Miami Booker T. Washington

2014 – Tim Harris, Jr., Miami Booker T. Washington

2015 – Deran Wiley, Jacksonville Raines

2016 – Billy Rolle, Miami Southridge

2017 – John Peacock, Venice

2018 – Bobby Ramsey, Jacksonville Mandarin

2019 – Cameron Duke, Orlando Edgewater

2020 – Eric Lodge, Sanford Seminole

2021 – Matt Thompson, Tampa Jesuit

2022 – Bill Castle, Lakeland

2023 – Travis Roland, Daytona Beach Mainland

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