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S C R I P P S T R E A S U R E C O A S T N E W S PA P E R S » T C
ALL-AREA FOOTBALL TEAM
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR SAM VAUGHN
First-Team Offense
First-Team Offense
Will Dawkins
Karson Dietrich
Phillip Norman
Nate Pryor
Dan Fillhaber
Dillan Jeffries
Rickey Rodriguez
Garrett Smith
D.J. Juste
Josh Knight
J.J. Stevens
Dalton Stokes
Cody Labanowitz
Mario Lambert
Edwin Thomas
Lorenz Velasco
Marcus Levy
Connor Moore
Cody Walker
D.J. Washington
WILL DAWKINS
PHILLIP NORMAN
Vero Beach senior athlete Stats: 660 yards receiving on 39 catches (16.9 yards per catch), 4 TDs; had two rushing TDs and played some defense
KARSON DIETRICH
Vero Beach senior kicker Stats: Made 5-of-7 field goals with a long of 38 yards; 43 of 46 on PATs; 30 touchbacks; also averaged 39.2 yards on punts
DAN FILLHABER
Martin County sophomore running back Stats: 975 yards on 192 carries (5.1 yards per carry), 14 TDs; 12 games
DILLAN JEFFRIES
South Fork senior offensive lineman Notable: Helped the Bulldogs’ offense produce 323.8 yards and 31.3 points per game
D.J. JUSTE
Port St. Lucie senior athlete Stats: Led the area with 996 yards rushing on 159 carries (6.3 yards per carry), 9 rushing TDs; completed 50 of 106 passes for 633 yards and 5 TDs; he also played defense
JOSH KNIGHT
Fort Pierce Central senior receiver Stats: 383 yards on 29 catches (13.2 yards per catch), 5 TDs
CODY LABANOWITZ
South Fork senior quarterback Stats: 712 yards passing, 5 TDs, 4 INTs; 366 yards rushing, 6 TDs while playing on torn ACL; 11 games
MARIO LAMBERT
Vero Beach senior receiver Stats: 446 yards on 32 catches (13.9 yards per catch), 7 TDs; 10 games
DEBORAH SILVER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS
Sam Vaughn is the 2012 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers’ All-Area Football Offensive Player of the Year.
Cool under fire
Quarterback Sam Vaughn stepped up and excelled in pressure situations for Fort Pierce Central By Laurel Pfahler
Offensive Player of the Year
laurel.pfahler@scripps.com 772-978-2282
FORT PIERCE — Sam Vaughn didn’t know he was going to be Fort Pierce Central’s starting quarterback until the week of the kickoff classic, but the real pressure came when the team’s all-state running back went down with an injury in that preseason game. The junior and former backup quarterback was tasked with leading the Cobras’ offense in Marcus Levy’s absence the first three games and even in the weeks after as Levy regained strength from a high ankle sprain. Vaughn rose to the challenge and in the process surpassed the impressive numbers put up by predecessor Marcus Sigmon, who left big shoes to fill as it was. Vaughn finished with 1,955 yards and 21 touchdowns through the air while completing 148-of-239 passes (61.9 percent) with only six interceptions and also finished as the team’s second-leading rusher with 438 yards on 91 carries and six rushing touchdowns. For the instrumental role he played on one of the best offenses in the area, Vaughn has been named the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers’ All-Area Football Offensive Player of the Year.
SAM VAUGHN
Fort Pierce Central junior quarterback Stats: Completed 148-of-239 passes for 1,955 yards and 21 TDs with 6 INTS; added 438 yards on 91 carries and 6 rushing TDs Coach Josh Shaffer: “What stands out most about Sam, other than his ability to get the ball downtown, is his composure, his ability to stay calm under pressure. Some of his best games came against the best competition. He took hold of the offense when our best player went down, and he didn’t try to do any more than he was already doing. That’s what really helped him was his ability to be even-keeled about it. He was a quiet leader, and he had a fantastic season.”
“I felt like I was prepared for the challenge, but there was still pressure because we were expecting to go to the third round of the playoffs again and make it past that,” Vaughn said. “I knew someone would have to step up, and I felt like I did that. It was a good kind of pressure, but I was ready for it.”
More than anything, Vaughn relished the opportunity to run more while the Cobras were missing their top returning rusher and in need of some help moving the ball on the ground. Though he is best known for his arm strength — perhaps a credit to his baseball talent — Vaughn said he liked carrying the ball. “That hurt when he (Levy) went down because he was another quarterback on the field, as far as making checks and reads, and he sees things if I don’t,” Vaughn said. “It forced me to be more of a leader on the field and gave me a chance to show my ability as far as running the ball, which I actually really like.” Central coach Josh Shaffer said Vaughn’s competitive drive enabled him to thrive under pressure. During a three-game stretch against Palm Bay, Sebastian River and Vero Beach, he especially stepped up in the second half to spark the Cobras to key victories, and Central went on to finish the regular season undefeated. “There’s no bigger critic of Sam than Sam himself,” Shaffer said. “He was already trying his best to achieve perfection and thrive every day. If he wasn’t ready for it, we wouldn’t have been as successful, but he was always trying to be ready in practice, and that’s why he was able to perform in games.”
MARCUS LEVY
Fort Pierce Central senior running back Stats: 809 yards on 114 carries (7.1 yards per carry), 16 TDs; nine games
CONNOR MOORE
Vero Beach senior offensive lineman Notable: Helped the Fighting Indians’ offense produce 360.8 yards and 31.3 points per game
Honorable Mention JOSH ABEL Jensen Beach sophomore athlete SCOTT BACON Vero Beach senior offensive lineman JAVONTE BAGLEY Vero Beach Junior receiver BRANDON CAPPS SLW Centennial senior offensive lineman NICK COOPER Sebastian River junior running back TRENT COX John Carroll senior offensive lineman
DAN CULUMBER John Carroll junior receiver JAQUAN DAVIS Martin County senior offensive lineman CHRIS FLAIG Vero Beach senior offensive lineman AL FLUDD Okeechobee senior receiver JASON HAYLING Fort Pierce Westwood senior athlete JAMEEL JACKSON Fort Pierce Central senior receiver
MATT LIGHTLE Sebastian River senior offensive lineman MARCUS MCCLAIN South Fork senior running back LYLE MESSAM Port St. Lucie senior running back DAKOTA MEIZINGER Port St. Lucie senior receiver TYRELL MORING Port St. Lucie senior athlete NIC PADRICK Fort Pierce Central senior offensive lineman DANNY PENNELL Master’s senior receiver
JERMOHN QUEEN Martin County senior athlete AARON ROBERSON Sebastian River senior kicker JASON STOTTLEMYER South Fork senior offensive lineman ALQUAN VICKERS Fort Pierce Central junior receiver CORY VICKERS Okeechobee junior offensive lineman JORDAN WATKINS John Carroll sophomore quarterback JIMMY WILLIAMSON Vero Beach junior receiver
Sebastian River senior offensive lineman Notable: Played every position on the line except center; helped the Sharks’ offense produce 261.0 yards and 22.4 points per game despite a slow start to the season
NATE PRYOR
Sebastian River senior running back/slot receiver Stats: 648 yards on 85 carries (7.6 yards per carry), 8 TDs; 212 yards on 12 catches and 1 receiving TD; also had 2 INTs on defense
RICKEY RODRIGUEZ
St. Lucie West Centennial senior receiver Stats: 440 yards on 29 catches (15.2 yards per catch), 5 TDs; nine games
GARRETT SMITH
Fort Pierce Central senior offensive lineman Notable: Anchored an offensive line that helped produce 348.4 yards and 33.0 points per game, while giving up just eight sacks all year; took on the opponent’s best pass rusher
J.J. STEVENS
Fort Pierce Central senior receiver Stats: 631 yards on 33 catches (19.1 yards per catch), 8 TDs; 12 games
DALTON STOKES
Vero Beach junior quarterback Stats: 207-of-314 passing for 2,514 yards, 25 TDs, 12 INTs; 11 games
EDWIN THOMAS
John Carroll senior athlete Stats: 581 yards on 89 carries (6.5 yards per carries), 7 rushing TDs; 427 yards on 35 catches (12.2 yards per catch), 4 receiving TDs; also had 6 INTs on defense
LORENZ VELASCO
South Fork senior running back Stats: 771 yards on 87 carries (8.9 yards per carry), 7 TDs; nine games
CODY WALKER
Okeechobee junior offensive lineman Notable: Played big part in Brahmans’ much-improved offensive production (310.2 yards and 24.6 PPG)
D.J. WASHINGTON
Okeechobee senior athlete Stats: 766 yards on 112 carries (6.8 yards per carry), 6 rushing TDs; also had 42 tackles and 1 INT returned for a TD on defense