Manatee High quarterback Cord Sandberg and football coach Joe Kinnan named tops in Florida's Class 7A

Published: December 11, 2012 

Coach Joe Kinnan observes his Manatee Hurricanes during a Nov. 9 game against visiting Lakewood Ranch.HERALD FILE PHOTO

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named best in class

BRADENTON -- Cord Sandberg is once again the class of Class 7A.

Manatee's senior quarterback was named Player of the Year in Class 7A by the Florida Dairy Farmers and is a nominee for the Mr. Football Award for the second straight year.

Joe Kinnan was named the Class 7A Coach of the Year.

Sandberg threw for 2,672 yards, 35 touchdowns and an interception for Manatee, which went 13-1 and fell to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas during Friday's 7A state semifinal.

Sandberg earned 208 points, easily beating Boyd Anderson's Gregory Hankerson (85) and Kissimmee Osceola's Stafon McCray (66).

Sandberg and Yulee's Derek Henry (4A) are the only repeat winners. Other Mr. Football nominees include Tampa Wharton's Vernon Hargreaves III (8A), Columbia Laremy Tunsil (6A), Lake Nona's Tucker Isreal (Class 5A), Henry (4A), University School's Mike White (3A), Belle Glade Glades Day's Kelvin Taylor (2A) and Trenton's Cedric Stokes (1A).

Kinnan's competiton for Coach of the Year includes Orlando Dr. Phillips' Rodney Wells (8A), Gainesville's James Thomson (Class 6A), Tampa Robinson's Mike DePue (5A), Booker T. Washington's Tim Harris (4A), University School's Roger Harriot (Class 3A), Dade Christian's Mike Sonneborn (2A) and Trenton's Andrew Thomas (1A).Ranked No.1 nationally by MaxPreps, ESPN and USA Today for much of the season, Manatee expectedly tumbled in those polls following Friday's loss at Fort Lauerdale St. Thomas Aquinas.

Here are the latest:

n ESPN -- The Canes dipped to No. 23 in the ESPN Super 25, with Bellevue (Wash.) taking over to the top spot. Previously unranked Aquinas hopped to No. 20 heading into Friday's Class 7A state final.

n MaxPreps -- The site put Manatee atop its Xcellent 25 over the summer dropped to the Hurricanes to No. 23 and put Texas' DeSoto in the top spot. The Raiders entered the poll at No. 20.

n Rivals -- Manatee was No. 3 in the RivalsHigh 100 but plummeted to No. 27 in the latest poll. The Raiders? No. 26.

n USA Today -- The Canes dropped to No. 17 in the Super 25 as Louisiana's John Curtis took hold of the top spot. Aquinas No. 11.

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