WEST PALM BEACH – It was a watershed moment to behold at the 28th Annual Lou Groza Awards Ceremony on Monday night (Dec. 9).
Held at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Lakes ruled the night as Team of the Year, which is widely seen as the year’s top overall honor in Palm Beach County.
Palm Beach Lakes beat out fellow nominees American Heritage and Benjamin. It was a surprise to absolutely no one that this honor would be custom made for the Rams.
“These guys have done an awesome job,” Palm Beach Lakes head coach and Lou Groza Coach of the Year recipient Al Shipman said. “The senior class was a very special class for us. We lost 26 last year, and we have 33 now. We have to rebuild, but our team should still win…Our success has risen the bar for Palm Beach Lakes football and for Palm Beach County. We’re going to continue that tradition.”
Palm Beach Lakes senior Robert Sheppard was chosen by his team as the player spokesperson on behalf of winning the year’s most prestigious award in Palm Beach County.
“This is a big accomplishment,”
Sheppard said. “We were all on the same page…It was a big thing in our locker room on how we establish ourselves and carry ourselves as well. We outwork everybody. We’re the best team in Palm Beach County.”
It seemed as if everyone in attendance was happy for Palm Beach Lakes winning this prestigious award.
The same could be said about Shipman’s Coach of the Year award. The Rams head coach beat out fellow finalists Brian Coe (Santaluces; 2018 Coach of the Year) and Brandon Walker (Boca Raton) for the honor.
“It feels awesome,” Shipman said. “I had no idea I would feel this gratified after winning the two awards. I really wanted the team award, but now that I have won mine, it’s a huge statement. I’m so happy we’re able to bring a positive light to our team and to Palm Beach Lakes High School.”
This is the first Team of the Year and Coach of the Year honor for Palm Beach Lakes and Shipman at the Lou Groza Awards. After all, Palm Beach Lakes was the only Palm Beach County team to have finished the regular season with an undefeated record (9-0).
Palm Beach Lakes is really on top, and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop it this year.
This even includes the Palm Beach County All-Star Game, which will take place this Saturday (Dec. 14; 6 p.m. kickoff) at Jupiter High School in Jupiter. Shipman will be the head coach of the National Team, and his staff will help him lead the senior players selected for the all-star event.
One of Shipman’s all-stars is Wellington senior kicker and Lou Groza Placekicker of the Year Morgan Suarez, who beat out fellow finalists Bernie Cueto (King’s Academy junior) and Tron Rhodes (Berean Christian senior) for this year’s honor.
“I feel like I have filled the shoes of the past Wellington kickers,” Suarez said. “Alex Ng and Logan Robinson have won this award, so I finally feel like I deserve it.”
And for the Lou Groza Player of the Year, it was Jupiter senior quarterback Johnathan Mosley who beat out fellow finalists Henry Bryant III (Atlantic senior defensive tackle) and Chris D’Or (Cardinal Newman senior running back).
“It’s a great honor to win against two great contestants,” Mosley said. “It says a lot.”
NOTE: The Lou Groza Awards Ceremony was hosted by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and supported by organizations such the Orange Bowl Committee and ESPN West Palm. The event’s master of ceremonies for the night was sportscaster Jason Pugh.
PHOTO CREDITS: Keith Forde
