PHOENIX — The 2022 high school football season has come to a close here in Arizona and what a year it was!
We saw Basha win the Open Division state title, the schools 1st ever state title, along with Highland taking home their 2nd-straight 6A championship.
In 5A, Higley won the championship after having just 2 wins last year and in 4A, ALA-Gilbert North took home the title after moving up from 3A this year.
The 3A state title was won by Eastmark in their 4th-ever season, and they beat Thatcher in a rematch from earlier this year.
The 2A state championship was won by Pima in a game that was played outside the Valley at Safford High School and then Mogollon won the 1A state title for the 3rd year in a row.
It was truly a great year to watch, and now that Friday Night Fever's 33rd season is in the book, it is time to hand out our 2022 Friday Night Fever Awards and name our All-Fever team.
AWARDS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: ADAM DAMANTE (ALA-GILBERT NORTH)
Each time ALA Gilbert North Quarterback Adam Damante took the field, it was nothing short of fireworks. His play throughout the entirety of 2022 earned him the FNF award for offensive player of the year.
The senior finished the 2022 season as the 4A Conference’s single-season record-holder for passing yards with 4,736 yards and finished fifth all-time in single-season passing touchdowns with 59. Not only that, but Damante was able to help lead his team to the school’s first-ever state title in program history.
Damante’s dual-threat ability was nearly impossible for defenses to contain and he took advantage in the championship game picking up 72 rushing yards and passing for 252 yards and three touchdowns.
It’s no secret Adam Damante is a unique talent from the Valley and he will continue to put that on display at the next level where he will play for NAU in 2023 and beyond.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: MY'KEIL GARDNER (LIBERTY)
This year's Liberty High School team was one of the best the state of Arizona has ever seen. One of the Lions’ premiere players happens to be one of the most coveted edge rushers in the 2023 recruiting class. Our Friday Night Fever Defensive Player of the Year is Liberty's Defensive Lineman My ‘Keil Gardner.
At six-foot-three and 280 pounds, Gardner demands your attention. But it’s his relentlessness and impact on the field that’s earned him offers from more than a dozen Power 5 schools.
Gardner’s committed to rocking the green and yellow with the University of Oregon Ducks after representing the red and black in Peoria.
The edge rusher recorded 58 total tackles (15 solo) with four and a half sacks in his senior season, helping the lions bulldoze nearly every team in their path on their way to an 11-1 record and appearance in the Open Division Semifinals.
Pretty soon Gardner will be showing out on Saturdays but the Liberty senior is closing out 2022 with an FNF trophy.
"It's an honor. I say this with every award I’ve won this year: it's a testament to my team and my coaches,” Gardner told 12News. “Leadership was something we really needed this year and I feel like it was a role I was put into. I embraced it to the max capacity, and it made us better all around."
COACH OF THE YEAR: CHANDLER HOVIK (CENTRAL)
Everything you want is on the other side of hard. When Chandler Hovik was hired as Central High School's head football coach full-time in 2019 after spending one year as the offensive coordinator and interim head coach, things were hard.
He was just 25 years young and was the youngest head coach in Arizona.
However, the Bobcat football program was built on belief and bought into their new head coach.
Three years later, Hovik led the Bobcats for their best season in over a decade.
They went 9-1 in the regular season, got their 1st-ever win over Fairfax, had one the top offenses in 5A, were region champions, and most importantly, made their 1st playoff appearance since 2009.
The moment the team won the region title even went viral thanks to Coach Hovik's sister, Ashley.
Chandler Hovik is our 2022 Friday Night Fever Coach of the Year.
2022 ALL-FEVER TEAM
QUARTERBACK
- Adam Damante (ALA-Gilbert North)
RUNNING BACKS
- Ca'lil Valentine (Chandler)
- Isaac Stopke (Lake Havasu)
ALL-PURPOSE
- Adam Mohammed (Apollo)**
- Dylan Tapley (Desert Mountain)
WIDE RECEIVERS
- Ja'Kobi Lane (Red Mountain)
- Cooper Perry (Notre Dame Prep)
- Carter Hancock (Higley)
TIGHT END
- Duce Robinson (Pinnacle)
OFFENSIVE LINE
- Elijah Paige (Pinnacle)**
- Caleb Lomu (Highland)
- James Durand (Basha)
- Alexander Doost (Mountain Ridge)
- Sirri Kandiyeli (Mountain View)
DEFENSIVE LINE
- A'mauri Washington (Chandler)
- My'Keil Gardner (Liberty)
- Nolan Clement (Desert Mountain)
- Dom Solano (Cactus)
LINEBACKERS
- Cole Lalama (Queen Creek)
- Gage Rogers (ALA-Queen Creek)
- Matthew Brimhall (Snowflake)
DEFENSIVE BACKS
- Cole Martin (Basha)
- Genesis Smith (Hamilton)
- Jeremiah Newcombe (Casteel)
- Cole Shivers (Saguaro)
- Colin Tibbs (Verrado)
KICKER
- Matthew Krneta (Hamilton)
PUNTER
- Kanyon Floyd (Horizon)
KICK RETURNERS
- Aundre Gibson (Desert Edge)
- Austin Johnston (Eastmark)