WELLINGTON – Coming back home earlier this summer from Denton, Tx., one could see a lineman’s mission to dominate in his senior year.

Our Lineman of the Year had one clear goal for this past fall football season at Palm Beach Central. He wanted to be the No. 1-ranked offensive lineman in Palm Beach County.

Chris Cirillo was that guy who made his presence felt everywhere in the trenches. For that and more, we have decided to crown him with perhaps our most special honor in Palm Beach County.

“I’m blessed to be in this position,” the 6-foot-2, 275-pound offensive lineman said. “And I am extremely grateful. I couldn’t have done it without my OL coach Ryan Blaszczyk and the guys next to me, Anthony Sriboonlue, Anthony Terry, Andre Torres, and Luis Saldana. I am extremely grateful for these guys.”

Cirillo finished his senior at Palm Beach Central with 64 pancakes and just one sack allowed. His best overall performance was in a Week 4 home game against Pahokee, when he recorded a career-high 15 pancakes.

“I knew this would be the game to let my name be known,” the three-year varsity football starter said of the Pahokee tilt.

Our No. 1-ranked offensive lineman from the 2023 class was our Lineman of the Week on three occasions this season – Week 1, Week 7, and Week 9.

In addition to that, Cirillo was the anchor to Palm Beach Central’s offensive line throughout his team’s best season in school history.

Cirillo on helping Palm Beach Central (12-2 final record) reaching the state semifinal round for the first time (Class 4M):

“Keeping each other accountable is important,” Cirillo said. “Whatever I miss an assignment or someone doesn’t know the play, I believe in keeping each other accountable and making sure we’re all on the same page. It was an important aspect to our success throughout the season.”

After Cirillo’s senior season ended with Palm Beach Central, he was selected to play in the Palm Beach County-Martin County All-Star Game. This showcase took place on Saturday, Dec. 17 at The King’s Academy.

Cirillo helped anchor an offensive line group that propelled American to a 20-10 win over National.

“I met some dudes at the all-star game,” Cirillo said. “Dat [Nguyen], John Arrigo, Antonio Solano, and Big Red [Ryan Edelstein]. It was really nice to meet them all. I wish them the best.”

Moving forward, the focus now for Cirillo will be on finding a proper college football home. He said he could be making his final decision on National Signing Day, which has been set for Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.

If Cirillo does not sign his letter of intent with a college on that particular date, it could be sometime later in February 2023.

Regardless of what happens, the college that Cirillo chooses will be happy to have a standout student-athlete like him. He is one who likes to place others ahead of himself and he is one who likes to lead by example.

And to sum it all up, we are ecstatic to say that Cirillo has proven himself to be a great representative for Palm Beach County as our Lineman of the Year.