SAVANNAH, Ga. — The 2023 Mike Finocchiaro Award nominees, presented annually to the best high school football player in Savannah and Chatham County, have been announced.
The award is named after the late Mike Finocchiaro, a longtime Savannah supporter of high school athletics. Finocchiaro founded the award in 1976 and compared the award to the equivalent of the annual Heisman Award given to the best college football player. He passed away in 2001.
The Michael Finocchiaro Memorial Outstanding Football Player award winner is based on regular season play and selected through a vote of head football coaches from public and private high schools in Chatham County and local media members. The Finocchiaro chairman released the list of nominees for the 2023 award below. The winner will be announced on Thanksgiving morning, November 23, 2023...
Benedictine
Luke Kromenhoek, senior, QB
104 of 174 passing (60%), 1644 yards, 18 touchdowns, two interceptions, 73 carries for 410 yards (5.6 YPC), and five touchdowns.
Bryce Baker, senior, LB
33 carries, 372 yards, 11.3 yards per carry, nine touchdowns, 42 tackles, 33 solo, two sacks, five hurries, one interception, and two caused fumbles.
Wilkes Albert, senior, LB
85 tackles, 55 solo, three tackles for loss, two sacks, five hurries, one interception for a touchdown, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Bethesda Academy
Triston Randall, senior, QB/LB
78 of 132 passing (59 %), 1,644 yards, 13 touchdowns, 2 interceptions; 53 rushes, 301 yards, 11 touchdowns; 62 tackles.
Noah Jenkins, senior, RB
160 carries for 1,596 yards (9.97 YPC), 23 touchdowns, 3 catches, 86 yards, 1 touchdown, 1,707 all-purpose yards.
Calvary Day
Jake Merklinger, senior, QB
110 of 152 passing for 2,144, 28 touchdowns, two interceptions, 36 rushes for 303 yards, seven touchdowns.
Thomas Blackshear, junior, WR
27 catches, 555 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions.
Caden Arnold, senior, WR
38 catches, 725 yards, and 10 touchdowns; 107 kickoff return yards, one touchdown, and 108 punt return yards.
Islands
Jayden Sutton, junior, athlete
24 receptions, 383 yards two touchdowns.
Isaac Harris, junior, LB
47 tackles, 17 solo, one sack, two caused fumbles.
Carson Kurdys, junior, athlete
19 receptions, 189 yards, three touchdowns, 31 tackles, 20 solo.
Jenkins
Lorenzo Cowan, senior, defensive end
50 tackles, 35 solo, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, one caused fumble.
Jeremiah James, senior, athlete
14 of 32 passing for 181 yards; 50 rushes for 235 yards and five touchdowns; 535 all-purpose yards.
Camron Thompson, sophomore, OL
Memorial Day School
Tyler Kindle, senior, QB
132 of 232 passing for 1,906 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Assir Best, junior RB/SS
799 yards rushing and nine touchdowns; 15 receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns; 1,247 all-purpose yards.
Julien Zamora, senior WR/DB
34 receptions, 685 yards and five touchdowns; 33 tackles, seven interceptions.
Alex Blackmon, senior, OLB
55 tackles, 37 solo.
Tyler Snipes, senior, DT/OL
59 tackles seven sacks, one caused fumble.
Craig Harris, senior WR/OLB
26 carries for 86 yards, one touchdown, 12 receptions for 185 yards, one touchdown; 44 tackles, 33 solo, one sack, one fumble recovery.
New Hampstead
RaShawn Truell, junior, QB
181 of 313 passing (58 %) for 2,949 yards and 35 touchdowns, 4 interceptions in 10 games played.
Jaylen Hampton, senior, WR
69 receptions for 1,087 yards and 19 total touchdowns in nine games.
Savannah Christian
Elijah Griffin, junior, DL
78 tackles, 26 tackles for a loss and 15.5 sacks.
David Bucey, senior, WR/LB
38 catches for 557 yards and six scores; 76 tackles, 1 interception.
Zo Smalls, junior, RB
1,294 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.
Kenry Wall, junior, athlete
1,468 all-purpose yards with 691 rushing and 462 receiving; three punt returns for TDS; 18 total touchdowns.
Logan Brooking, junior, TE/DL
55 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, 6 sacks; 27 catches for 471 yards and two scores.
Jaden Miles, junior, LB
100 total tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception.
Jamari McIvory, senior, DB/ATH
24 tackles, 5 interceptions, 619 all-purpose yards, and eight touchdowns.
Savannah Country Day
Keith James, senior, athlete
20 carries for 199 yards and two touchdowns; 45 catches for 687 yards and seven touchdowns; 1,125 all-purpose yards.
Barton Mixon, junior, QB
120 of 198 passing (61%) for 1,686 yards and 23 touchdowns, six interceptions; 104 carries for 754 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Brooks Kleinpeter, junior, TE
31 receptions for 454 yards and seven touchdowns.
Tyler Scott, junior, LB
100 tackles, 50 solo, 15 tackles per game, 4 .5 sacks, one fumble recovery, one caused fumble.
Joshua Washington, sophomore, RB/WR
48 carries for 297 yards and two touchdowns; 37 receptions for 447 yards and six touchdowns.
Savannah High
Stephen Fox, junior, athlete
St. Andrew's School
Richaard Williams, senior, RB/DB
628 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns; 781 yards receiving and eight touchdowns; 34 tackles, three interceptions, and one defensive touchdown.
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtsey Schools Social Media sites
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