Mike Ridaught
Former Buchholz quarterback Creed Whittemore was a special player.
His elusiveness and Houdini-like moves on the gridiron earned him the moniker “Alachua County Superman” by a Florida Times-Union sports writer.
Whittemore helped lead the Bobcats (10-3) to a second straight state semifinal appearance in 2022.
He was awarded for his play on both sides of the ball and became the first Mr. Football winner from Alachua County.
The Mississippi State signee completed 179-of-305 passes for 2,693 yards with 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 1,285 yards (8.29 yards per carry) and 17 TDs.
He also had six interceptions on defense.
Linebacker/running back Myles Graham of Buchholz almost gave the Bobcats and Alachua County a second straight Mr. Football.
Never before has a Florida school had back-to-back Mr. Football winners since the award was implemented in 1992.
In a close margin on Thursday, Graham finished second in the voting behind Cocoa junior wide receiver Jayvan Boggs.
Boggs, who was previously selected as the Class 2S Players of the Year, became the first football player from Brevard County to be named Mr. Football.
He helped lead Cocoa (14-1) to a win against Bradford (Starke) in this year’s Class 2S state title game, giving Boggs and the Tigers their second straight state title.
The Ohio State commit finished with 93 receptions for 1,493 yards (16.1 ypc) and he had a state-leading 23 touchdown catches.
Five finalists received at least four first-place votes.
Boggs captured five of the 25 first-place votes and finished with 107 points, while Graham, the Class 4S Player of the Year, received five first-place votes and finished with 98 points.
Graham, who recently signed with the University of Florida, led Buchholz to a 13-1 record and a spot in the state final four.
His play on defense, and offense, appealed to the voters.
“It’s great to see guys who contributed so much to our team be recognized for their outstanding individual accomplishments,” said Buchholz coach Chuck Bell. “It says a lot that Myles finished second. Much like Creed, Myles had stats and an impact on both sides of the ball which were unmatched in the state last season.”
Although recruited as a linebacker, where he recorded 82 tackles, including 36 solo, nine tackles for a loss, three sacks and seven hurries, the future Gator also carried the ball 62 times for 600 yards with 17 touchdowns.
“For both Creed and Myles to accomplish what they did on both sides of the ball, against the high level of competition that we play, was truly fun to watch,” Bell said. “You never had to watch a Buchholz game and wonder where Creed or Myles were. It’s a big reason why both guys will be playing in the SEC next year.”
Meanwhile, a trio of Gators signees were named Gatorade State Players of the Year.
D.J. Lagway (QB, Willis, Texas), Aaron Chiles (LB, Olney, Maryland), and Kahnen Daniels (RB, West Point, Mississippi) all took home the prestigious awards in their respective home states.
And in a surprising announcement made by former Gator and NFL great Emmitt Smith, Lagway was presented with the trophy as the 2023-24 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.
According to Friday’s press release, Gatorade Players of the Year are not only the best of the best in their respective sports, but they’re also leaders in the classroom and in their communities.
Lagway has volunteered locally at eldercare facilities, playing games and creating arts and crafts with the residents. He also has donated his time to a community foodbank and as a public speaker at schools and churches in the area, speaking with younger students about what it takes to succeed in school as well as athletics.
On the field, he completed 72.1% of his passes (290) for 4,604 yards and 58 touchdowns his senior year. He is rated as a consensus five-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN, On3 and Rivals.
He has maintained a 3.48 GPA in the classroom and is now enrolled at the University of Florida.
In fact, when Lagway arrived on campus for move-in that morning, he thought he was needed for a content shoot on the football field but walked in to find Smith holding the trophy instead.
“Selecting Lagway as the top high school football player in the nation is a testament to his hard work on the field, in the classroom and in his community,” said Gatorade president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo. “His athleticism combined with his contributions in his community and classroom embody what it takes to be a Gatorade Player of the Year.”
Florida Mr. Football Voting:
Player, School, Total Points
Jayvan Boggs, Cocoa 107
Myles Graham, Buchholz 98
Ennio Yapoor, Norland 97
Lawal (L.J.) McCray, Mainland 87
Cedric Bailey, Chaminade-Madonna 78
Joshua Townsend, Homestead 39
Tramell Jones, Mandarin 20
C.J. Ingram Hawthorne 0
JP Pickles, North Florida Christian 0
Anthony Barbar, Westminster Academy 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 Beach Seabreeze
2004 – Antone Smith, Pahokee
2005 – QB Tim Tebow, Ponte Vedra Nease
2006 – Robert Marve, Tampa Plant
2007 – Jacory Harris, Miami Northwestern
2008 – A.J. Graham, Tallahassee Godby
2009 – Matt Elam, 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