Vote: Who was the top performer from the FHS Association 7v7 2024 State Championships?

More than 200 athletes partook in the Friday-Saturday passing tournament at The Villages Charter School

Plant quarterback JC Mirasola throwing at the FHS Association 7v7 state championships. / Plant Panthers

THE VILLAGES, FLORIDA – On Friday-Saturday at The Villages Charter School, more than 200 athletes gathered to take part in the FHS Association 7v7 2024 State Championships. 

SBLive Sports Florida was on hand for the 7-on-7 tournament and saw plenty of talent, with a list down below of the players that stood out. 

Plenty of worthy names are on this list, so be sure to vote in our poll for which top standout from the FHS Association 7v7. Voting will close on July 15th, 11:59 p.m. 

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Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll. 

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Click here to vote

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Here are the nominees:

Michael Clayton, QB, Sanford Seminole: There's a reason a slew of Power 5 schools are after Clayton. That's because of his accuracy and ability to push the ball downfield. Clayton displayed the ability to read the field quickly and find the open receiver. Clayton arguably had the best day of any passer. 

Joseph Glennon, QB, Alonso: Quick trigger release and a rocket arm means good things for any quarterback. Luckily for the Alonso Ravens, Glennon is on their side and the signal caller was zipping passes all afternoon. Glennon has great velocity on every throw, but can also pass with touch when needed. 

Jackson Hoyt, QB, Nature Coast: The University of Florida commitment for baseball showed why he's primed for a huge senior season for the Sharks. The southpaw made plenty of impressive throws throughout the day and will look to improve on Day 2 for Nature Coast. 

Jaccorrion Owens, WR, Nature Coast: Owens stands 6-foot-2, around 170 pounds and showed off the ability to get behind defenders with his speed. The wide receiver is undoubtedly the Sharks' No. 1 option out wide and has continued to improve throughout the off-season. 

Byeton Edge, WR, Columbia: Brian Allen is going to need his offensive guys to step up in 2024 and Edge is one of the players expected to make some noise in the fall. The wide receiver made a slew of plays all throughout the day and should carry that over into Day 2. 

Da'Jon Brown, LB, Columbia: Not many outside linebackers get shoutouts from their coaches, but Brown did. Allen pointed to Brown as having a good day against opposing offenses. The linebacker is poised to have himself a big 2024 season. 

Francisco Rodriguez, QB, Sickles: With the graduation of Brandon Royal at quarterback, someone has to step up for the Gryphons. Enter Rodriguez into the mix, with the signal caller showing first-year head coach Xavier Bolden he has what it takes to command the offense.

Ja'cari Jackson, WR/DB, Olympia: I mean, what can't Jackson do for the Titans? The 2026 prospect impressed those in attendance with his play on both sides of the ball. Transitioning from playing quarterback last year, Jackson will be an all-around option for Olympia this upcoming season. 

Will Wankelman, QB, Olympia: Transferring over from Winter Park, Wankelman has fit in just nicely with the Titans. That was easily evident on Friday, with the 2026 prospect making plenty of solid throws. Wankelman displayed good accuracy and decision making throughout the day. 

Michael Saltsman, QB, Hernando: Making all the right reads and playing with the offense is exactly what Saltsman did throughout the afternoon for the Leopards. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound quarterback made smart throws and had the uncanny ability to find the open receiver. 

Gabe Sansone, DB, Hernando: The 6-foot-1, 175-pound athlete will see time in the back and secondary for the Leopards, Saltsman saw more defensive back on Friday. With the ability to read the field from his safety position and good arm extension, Sansone continues to be a player to watch for. 

Memphys Garcia, QB, Steinbrenner: Stepping into the saddle for Steinbrenner, Garcia continues to grow into being a solid quarterback for the team. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound gunslinger led the squad to an undefeated Day 1 and made all right throws when needed. Garcia will surprise people this fall. 

Emmanuel Arango, RB, Steinbrenner: Arango transferred over from Gaither during the off-season and the 5-foot-7, 190-pound tailback may have found a nice role with the Warriors. A pass catching threat out of the backfield, the running back made some nice grabs. 

Brenan Lowe, WR, Steinbrenner: If you haven't heard about Lowe, you might want to because he could be the hidden gem of the tourney. Showing a quick twitch ability in open space, the 5-foot-11, 165-pound receiver was a difficult cover for any defender.

Rod Mack, QB, Riverview: Mack will head into his first season as a starter, though he will be a senior this fall. Nonetheless, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound quarterback impressed coach Rodriguez throughout the day in leading the Sharks to four wins. Mack has good mobility to move around in the pocket and find open receivers when plays break down. 

JC Mirasola, QB, Plant Black: Overcoming cramping on what was a 90-degree plus day, Mirasola still was able to lead the Panthers to the FHS Association 7v7 title. The senior quarterback tossed five touchdowns in the championship final against West Orange, showing he will be a passer to watch this upcoming fall.

Waltez Clark, RB, Plant Black: I mean, what do we not already know about one of the Tampa Bay area's top tailbacks? Clark showed his versatility out of the backfield, scoring easily on a dump off pass in the title game. The Florida commitment showed why he'll be heading to Gainesville next year.

Max Hunt, TE, Plant Black: Standing at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Hunt showed why he's a matchup nightmare for any opposing defender. The Pittsburgh commitment hauled in plenty of passes throughout the day and will be a key component of the Panthers' offense in the fall.

AJ Chung, QB, West Orange Orange: Just a incoming freshman, Chung has picked up the playbook fairly fast. The Class of 2028 prospect looked good in games against Sanford Seminole and East Lake. Chung, who had a 4.5 GPA coming out of middle school, is already making waves and practices haven't even kicked off yet.

Brian Dillard, WR, West Orange Orange: The sophomore wide receiver displayed why secondaries might need to play zone against the Warriors. Dillard took the Seminoles and Eagles deep several times, coming away with touchdowns. His speed combined with ability to track the ball in the air was impressive.

Eli Millian, QB, East Lake: Could we be seeing the next top notch quarterback over at East Lake? Following up an impressive spring, Millian looked good against a very talented Vanguard defense. The Eagles' signal caller showed good zip on his passes along with the accuracy needed to go along with it.

Brody Church, WR, East Lake: One of Millian's top targets this upcoming spring will undoubtedly be Church, especially in redzone opportunities. The wide receiver made several impressive catches against Vanguard, including a jump ball thrown to the corner of the endzone for a touchdown. Church is certainly a redzone target you can't miss.

Zay Blanch, DB, East Lake: Taking a look at the Eagles' secondary across the board, there was plenty of praise to go around. Blanch was the defensive back that stood out among the rest, with head coach Bob Hudson mentioning the cornerback having a solid day.

Nasir Allen, WR, Vanguard: Plenty of college programs are taking a look at Allen and for good reason. The fleet-footed wide receiver was everywhere offensively for the Knights as the senior showed why he could arguably be one of the top players in Mid-Central Florida this fall.

Sergarion Gunsby, WR, Vanguard: Lining up next to Allen was the speedy Gunsby, who is getting his share of college offers as well. The sophomore wide receiver made some nifty grabs and will be one of the top targets for quarterback Matthew Dial.

Grant Lanning, TE, Nature Coast: The 6-foot-4, 235-pound receiver has a grade point average of 4.51, making him an attractive get for Ivy League schools. Lanning had a solid day catching the ball for the Sharks, bringing his stock up for any would be colleges.

Jonathan Harding, TE, The Villages: We go from one tight end to another, as Harding could arguably been the best on the dias. The Memphis commitment caught a bunch of passes, wowing folks on hand. The versatile tight end cramped up in the late morning, but nonetheless proved he's one of the best at his position.

Sev Croom II, WR, Lyman: Croom II is a deep threat for any secondary he's up against. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound pass catcher showed off his sub 4.4 speed in the morning session. The Class of 2025 prospect owns five Power Five offers already.

Xavier Irizarry, QB, Leesburg: The 6-foot-2, 180-pound quarterback was impressive from start to finish at the tournament for the Yellow Jackets. Coming off getting his first collegiate offer from the University of Puget Sound, Irizarry followed that up with a slew of strong performances for Leesburg.

-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl