2024 Thomas A. Simone Awards Ceremony Recap

The 2024 Thomas A. Simone Awards celebrated high school football talent in the Kansas City area, with top athletes receiving honors across multiple categories. Here's the recap of the full event and award winners that took place on December 10th at Liberty High School.

 

Thomas A. Simone Award
Awarded to the most outstanding high school football player in the Kansas City metropolitan area, this year's honor went to:

• WINNER: Jaxon Hicks, Senior Running Back, Liberty High School

 

Frank Fontana Award
Recognizing the most outstanding player at smaller high schools in the area, the finalists included:

• Carter Temple, Sophomore Quarterback, Kearney
• WINNER: Kobe Westphal, Senior Quarterback, Warrensburg
• Jordan Haley, Senior Quarterback, Braymer
• Marco Rodriguez, Senior Quarterback, Bishop Miege

 

Buck Buchanan Award
Honoring the best linebacker, defensive, or offensive lineman, the finalists were:

• WINNER: Jayden Woods, Senior LB/DE, Mill Valley
• Andrew Babalola, Senior Offensive Lineman, Blue Valley Northwest
• Anthony Thompson, Senior Linebacker, Fort Osage
• Dawson Merrit, Senior Linebacker, Blue Valley

 

Bobby Bell Award
Recognizing small-school linebacker, and defensive, or offensive linemen, the finalists included:

• WINNER: Ashton Moore, Senior Linebacker, Louisburg
• Bo Smith, Senior OL/DL, Chillicothe
• Finn Cusick, Senior Defensive End, Bishop Miege
• Theo Grace, Senior Linebacker, Kearney

 

Otis Taylor Award
Honoring the best wide receiver or tight end in the Kansas City area, the finalists were:

• Larry Porter, Senior Wide Receiver, Raytown
• Karsten Fiene, Junior Wide Receiver, Lee’s Summit
• WINNER: Isaiah Mozee, Senior Wide Receiver, Lee’s Summit North
• Quin Myers, Senior Wide Receiver, Blue Valley West

 

73 athletes were named to the All-Simone Team, remembering the late Tommy Simone who wore the #73 on the field. You can find the list of those athletes here. 

 

Nathan Stiles Award was awarded to Anna Anderson, A kicker and wide receiver for Park Hill High School, who built a remarkable career in her time at Park Hill. Known for her strong leadership skills and dedication, Anna was a stellar kicker and the first female to ever receive a varsity letter in football at Park Hill. She also excels on the basketball court leading her team. Whether through achievements in athletics or serving the community, Anna demonstrates a commitment to excellence and continuous growth, inspiring others along the way. she was recognized as academic all state and is the first KC-area female to make the 18-man roster for the 2024 17U Girls National Team. We are honored to recognize Anna as the 2024 winner of the Nathan Stiles Memorial Award. She continues to inspire girls everywhere with her ambition, drive, and success, which is why she was selected as the winner of the Nathan Stiles Award.

 

The Kansas City Chiefs announced the winner of the Eric Driskell Coach of the Year Award, Chad Frigon of Liberty High School.  In his 14th year of coaching, Chad Frigon was recognized in week 10 as the Coach of the Week honoree. His team, the Liberty Blue Jays, finished 9-4, earning their first district title since 2005 and advancing to the Class 6 semifinals, where they came up short. He has an overall school record of 87-64, starting as the freshman football coach and then serving as varsity assistant football coach for 13 years before taking his head coaching job.

 

This year, we changed the selection process to balance the voting of nominees and winners. The recipients of all of these prestigious awards were selected by a vote of the high school football coaches and select media members in the metropolitan area. 

We are incredibly honored to be able to recognize these elite athletes from programs all over the Kansas City Metro area, across Kansas and Missouri. These annual awards highlight the exceptional talent of high school football players, celebrating their achievements both on and off the field.