Alachua County gets its first Mr. Football in Buchholz quarterback Creed Whittemore

Alachua County is historically rich when it comes to high school football, which makes it hard to be the first anything.

Buchholz's Creed Whittemore is an exception.

Adding to the trophy case:Buchholz's Creed Whittemore follows in brother's footsteps, wins Scot Brantley Trophy

Award finalists:Three Gainesville area football representatives finalists for Florida Dairy Farmers awards

In his senior campaign, the Bobcats' quarterback passed for more than 2,500 yards and rushed for more than 1,250 − a feat which is believed to be have never been done before by another Alachua County player in a single season.

Whittemore tallied 33 passing touchdowns and 16 rushing touchdowns this past fall in leading Buchholz to its second consecutive Final Four appearance in the state's wildly competitive 4S classification. The Bobcats ultimately fell to to Venice in the state semifinal, dropping the curtain on Buchholz's 10-3 season.

Those efforts helped Whittemore once again etch his name in the Alachua County prep football history books as the Florida Dairy Farmers named Whittemore this year's Mr. Football on Friday afternoon. It is the first time in the award's 31-year history that the winner hails from Alachua County.

Whittemore received 15 of 25 first-place votes, helping him beat out Cocoa quarterback Blake Boda, who received four first-place votes.

Being named Mr. Football puts Whittemore, who has signed with Mississippi State, in elite company. He joins Daunte Culpepper, Anquan Boldin, Tim Tebow, Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook as others who have won the award.

Friday afternoon's announcement adds another item to Whittemore's long list of accolades, which has featured being named USA Today's Class 4S player of the year, as well as this year's Scot Brantley Trophy award winner.

Lakeland's Bill Castle named Coach of the Year

Just three years after announcing his retirement after 47 years of coaching the Lakeland Dreadnaughts, Bill Castle was named the Florida Dairy Farmers' Coach of the Year on Friday afternoon.

Castle piloted Lakeland through a state championship-winning season, which saw the Dreadnaughts finish with a perfect 14-0 record and the Class 4S state title. Through the course of the 2022 season, Castle's number of wins stretched out to 473, surpassing the state's record of 465, which was set by Jacksonville Bolles' Corky Rogers.

Castle also becomes the first to be recognized as the Florida Dairy Farmers' Coach of the Year three times. Castle also won the award in 1998 and 2004.

Lakeland's longtime leader captured eight first-place votes, edging out Columbus' Dave Dunn, who received six first-place votes.

Hawthorne's Cornelius Ingram finished fourth in the voting after leading his alma mater to a perfect 12-0 record and a Class 1R state championship, which was the program's first ever.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida Dairy Farmers name Buchholz's Creed Whittemore Mr. Football