The Junior Orange Bowl presented the Henry O. Langston Scholar-Athlete Award to 16 student-athletes during the 2017 FHSAA Football Championship games, Dec. 7-9, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
The student from each participating team with the highest GPA was honored at mid-field before the start of each Championship game.
Junior Orange Bowl representatives — president Michelle Benitez-Bermudez, president-elect Frandley DeFilie and member David Rowen — were joined by Frank Beasley, director of the FHSAA, to present the awards.
The 2017 winners of the Henry O. Langston Scholar Athlete Award are:
Alex Buggs, Blounstown High School;
Drew Herring, Madison County High School;
Desjuan Kearse, Champagnat Catholic School;
Oake Stipe, University Christian School;
Jason McCleod, Oxbridge Academy;
Daniel Longman, Chaminade-Madonna;
Raynell Killian, William M. Raines High School;
Zach Beagle, Cocoa High School;
Jared Elstein, American Heritage Plantation;
Terron Carey, Miami Northwestern;
Christian Brown, Atlantic Community High School;
William Lewis, Dr. Phillips High School;
Jhonny Quest, Armwood High School;
Jared Bailey, Venice High School;
Braeden Sanders, Baker County High School, and
Alex Newman, Bartram Trail High School.
The award is named after Henry O. Langston, founder of the Junior Orange Bowl Scholar-Athlete Award. Langston is a Life Member of the Junior Orange Bowl and has been an educator and mentor for 55 years, 48 at Gulliver Schools in Miami. Langston serves as the Dean of Faculty and Director of University Affairs for Gulliver and is among the most well-respected and innovative education leaders in South Florida and the Nation. His passion for education and the impact he has had on the youth of South Florida has been immeasurable.
The Henry O. Langston award presentation is one of the many arms of the Junior Orange Bowl Scholar Athlete program. The Junior Orange Bowl awards scholarships at the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Scholar-Athlete Luncheon, as well as honors high school students at various schools for their volunteerism.
The Junior Orange Bowl is best known for hosting more than 7,500 youth participants in 15 athletic, academic, and cultural events throughout the year. A few Junior Orange Bowl highlights for the 2017-18 season are the addition of the Photography Competition, the new Creative Writing Scholarship, and the Fourth Annual Gala.
For information on all Junior Orange Bowl events visit jrorangebowl.org.
