Frank Fontana Award Winners

Hudson Bailey

St. Pius X Quarterback

St. Pius X sophomore quarterback Hudson Bailey was named the 2023 Frank Fontana winner as the best all-around player in Class 1-4. The Warriors signal caller had a breakout season finishing the year with 2,651 yards and 38 touchdowns. He completed 66.80 percent of his passes as he helped St. Pius X to an 11-3 record and a run to the Class 3 semifinals. He becomes the fourth Warrior to win the award but the first since 2006. The Fontana Award is named after former Pius star Frank Fontana who was the captain of the 1981 state championship team. He passed away a few years later.

Mac Armstrong

Bishop Miege

The senior quarterback finished 2022 with 3,865 yards and 39 touchdowns while tossing only six interceptions. He completed 73.8 percent of his passes and averaged 297.3 yards per game leading Miege to an 11-2 record and the Class 4A State championship. Armstrong is the second Miege quarterback to earn the honor after Carter Putz won in 2017.

Jackson House

St. James Academy

House led the Thunder to its second straight Kansas Class 4A state title. St. James started off the season 0-4 but won its next nine straight culminating in a 28-21 win over Andover Central in the state championship game. The Thunder’s dynamic offense averaged 39 points a game in the streak after scoring just 36 in the first four losses. House finished the year with 2,856 yards passing with 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He also rushed for 794 yards and scored seven more TDs on the ground.

Tyler Bowden

Tonganoxie Running Back

Bowden was one of the top running backs in the Metro in 2020 finishing the year with 2,583 yards and 37 touchdowns helping the Chieftains to a 9-2 record and a run to the Kansas Class 4A quarterfinals. He averaged 234 yards a game and 8.8 yards a carry on the season. This is only the second time in the award’s history a player from Kansas has been honored. Bishop Miege’s Carter Putz won the award in 2017.

Josey Meierarend

Odessa Quarterback

The Bulldogs averaged 49.5 points per game, while holding regular season foes under 8 ppg on their way to a 15-0 record and the Missouri Class 3 title. Meierarend finished the season with with 2,560 passing yards, 37 TDs to just 4 INTs.

Spencer Stewart

Platte County Quarterback

Stewart threw for 2,491 yards and 38 touchdowns to help the Pirates post a 10-2 mark and advance to the district championship. He completed 198 of 374 attempts, passing for 245 yards per game. His best game was a 395-yard showing in a road win against Grain Valley. He threw for 300 yards two other times — vs. Grandview and Raymore-Peculiar – and completed a season-high 24 passes in an upset of Class 6 Ray-Pec.

Carter Putz

Bishop Miege Quarterback

Led his football team to three state titles. Collected 2,844 passing yards and 38 touchdowns while rushing for 596 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior.

Anthony Pritzel

Kearney Quarterback

Pritzel completed 150 of 249 passes for 2,457 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first year as the starter at Kearney. He threw just six interceptions in a year the Bulldogs got back to the state championship game after winning the title a season ago. Pritzel also ran for 975 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Kobe Hardin

Odessa Running Back

Aaron Graham

Oak Grove

Josh Shewmaker

Pleasant Hill

Max Mickey

Holden

Krae Kelso

Platte County Quarterback

Shane Hartzler

Kearney Quarterback

Darrenn White

University Academy

Conrad Schottel

Kearney

Sean Ransburg

Harrisonville

Pat Cashmore

St. Pius X

La'Darrian Page

Lee's Summit West

Leonard Durant

Hickman Mills

Benny Palmer

Kearney

Willie Chashmore

St. Pius X

Zach Sherman

Platte County

Brandon Gutshall

Platte County

Nick Zicarelli

St. Pius X

Tim Ryan

Rockhurst