Miami Dolphins Play Football Program Week 4 Winners

Miami Gardens, FL – Celebrating members of our community that do good work has been part of the Miami Dolphins M.O. for years. Commemorating these people not only highlights what they’re doing in the community, it also creates an example for the rest of the community to follow. Every home game, the Miami Dolphins Play Football program selects a high school coach of the week, high school player of the week, youth player of the week and team mom of the week. The program was created to revere youth football in South Florida. 

The high school coach of the week selection will celebrate those with long-standing tenure in the coaching community, paying tribute to Don Shula’s 50^th season with the Miami Dolphins organization. Every award recipient is given tickets to a Miami Dolphins home game. They are also presented with a plaque during a break in the game on the field at Hard Rock Stadium. The gameday program also acknowledges their achievements along with the Miami Dolphins’ social media platforms. Along with that, the Fins also recognize a team of the week on-field during the national anthem.

 The program culminates at the end of the season, during the last home game when the Fins host the Bengals (which might decide who gets the 1st overall pick in next season’s draft). The Dolphins will honor the yearly award winners in every category with the exception of the team of the year.

Week 4 Winners:

• High School Coach of the Week: Byron Walker from Archbishop McCarthy High School. Walker’s head coaching career began 43 years ago at Glades Day School in Belle Glade, Florida, where he coached from 1977-1991. Walker won three football state championships and eight consecutive trips to the state finals. His success lead him to American Heritage in Plantation where he served as the athletic director and head coach from 1992-2010 and led the Patriots to 14 state playoffs and one state championship appearance. In 2011, Walker became the head coach at Archbishop McCarthy, where he has led the Mavericks to two playoff appearances in nine years. In 2018, Walker was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Florida Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003.

• High School Player of the Week: Brian Smith from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Smith rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning catch on the final play in a 30-26 win over rival Monarch High School.

• Youth Player of the Week: Ja’vion Florence from the Cannonball Youth Club Wolverines 6U of the Miami Xtreme Youth Football League. Florence had three carries and three touchdowns in a win over the Kendall Hammock Warriors.

• Team Mom of the Week: Tara Gochin from the Parkland Rangers 10U of Gold Coast Pop Warner. This is Gochin’s second season as a team mom and she has proved herself extremely instrumental in the day-to-day activities of the team. She is available at every practice making sure the players are hydrated and taken care of. On game day, Gochin makes sure that all of the players are properly dressed and ready to play. On top of that, she also keeps the parents in the know as far as game schedules and timing of activities for the day.

• Team of the Week: Belen Jesuit Preparatory School.

The Junior Dolphins program encourages youth players and coaches to teach, learn and play football in a fun and safe environment. The Junior Dolphins program is designed to give kids access to learn the fundamentals of football using the NFL’s top resources. To grow the game, the Junior Dolphins program will work to educate coaches, parents and youth on the health and safety of football with a strong emphasis on character development. Junior Dolphins is building the next generation of Dolphins Fans.

2019 Miami Dolphins Play Football Weekly Winners

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