Tampa Bay Top 10 Kickoff and Punt Return Leaders
Out of the 72 Tampa Bay football teams in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties, listed below are the Top 10 Total Return Yard Leaders, Top 10 Kickoff Return Yardage Leaders, Top 10 Kickoff Return Average Leaders, Top 10 Punt Return Yardage Leaders, and Top 10 Punt Return Average Leaders. Used Max Preps Kickoff and Punt Return Yardage Stats.
Three local Returners stood out in 4 out of 5 Top 10 Returner categories: Austin Lawrence, 2013, Osceola, Andy Embody, 2013, Carrollwood Day and Kendall Pearcey, 2013, Steinbrenner. Additionally, all 3 players are versatile Running Backs and Receivers; Embody had 1600 All-Purpose Yards, Pearcey had 1510 All-Purpose Yards and Lawrence had 1492 All-Purpose Yards.
Top 10 Total Return Yardage Leaders
Returner | School | Class | Total Ret Yds | KR Yds | PR Yds |
Trey Larry | CCC | 2013 | 586 | 122 | 464 |
Karel Hamilton | Strawberry Crest | 2013 | 585 | 445 | 140 |
Austin Lawrence | Osceola | 2013 | 563 | 406 | 157 |
Victor Williams | Lennard | 2013 | 515 | 515 | 0 |
Keith Hopkins | Wharton | 2013 | 499 | 310 | 268 |
Kendall Pearcey | Steinbrenner | 2013 | 491 | 331 | 160 |
Andy Embody | CDS | 2013 | 475 | 178 | 297 |
Jamie Hamby | Hudson | 2013 | 475 | 475 | 0 |
Robbie Robertson | Cambridge Christian | 2013 | 446 | 311 | 135 |
Trey Larry, 2013, Clearwater Central Catholic (CCC) was both the Top Punt Return Yardage Leader (464 Yds) and the Top Total Return Yardage Leader (586 Yds). Additionally, Larry had 1156 All-Purpose Yards.
Top 10 Kickoff Return Yardage Leaders
Returner | School | Class | KO Ret Yds | KR | Yds/Att | LG |
Victor Williams | Lennard | 2013 | 515 | 17 | 30.3 | 90 |
Jamie Hamby | Hudson | 2013 | 475 | 22 | 21.6 | 89 |
Karel Hamilton | Strawberry Crest | 2013 | 445 | 15 | 29.7 | 98 |
Angel Ramos | Keswick Christian | 2015 | 425 | 19 | 22.4 | 89 |
Austin Lawrence | Osceola | 2013 | 406 | 16 | 25.4 | 45 |
Justin Haystrand | River Ridge | 2013 | 355 | 16 | 22.2 | 52 |
Connor Stevens | Land O’Lakes | 2015 | 333 | 11 | 30.3 | 55 |
Kendall Pearcey | Steinbrenner | 2013 | 331 | 7 | 47.3 | 95 |
Kudiel Gomez | Wesley Chapel | 2013 | 325 | 12 | 27.1 | 40 |
Christian Trididad | Mitchell | 2014 | 324 | 10 | 32.4 | 95 |
Victor Williams, 2013, Lennard, was the Top Kickoff Return Yardage Leader and had 1227 All-Purpose Yards.
Highest Kickoff Return Average Leaders (min 5 Returns)
Returner | School | Class | KO Ret Yds | KR | Yds/Att | LG |
Kendall Pearcey | Steinbrenner | 2013 | 331 | 7 | 47.3 | 95 |
Tajee Fullwood | Tampa Bay Tech | 2014 | 232 | 5 | 46.4 | 96 |
Austin Meyers | Bishop McLaughlin | 2013 | 215 | 5 | 43.0 | 64 |
Wesley Bullock | Plant | 2013 | 260 | 7 | 37.1 | 91 |
Andy Embody | CDS | 2013 | 178 | 5 | 35.6 | 93 |
Christian Trididad | Mitchell | 2014 | 324 | 10 | 32.4 | 95 |
Victor Williams | Lennard | 2013 | 515 | 17 | 30.3 | 90 |
Connor Stevens | Land O’Lakes | 2015 | 333 | 11 | 30.3 | 55 |
Karel Hamilton | Strawberry Crest | 2013 | 445 | 15 | 29.7 | 98 |
Mark LaBarbera | Wesley Chapel | 2014 | 148 | 5 | 29.6 | 48 |
Kendall Pearcey also had the Top Kickoff Return Average (47.3 Yds/Return).
Top 10 Punt Return Yardage Leaders
Returner | School | Class | PR Yds | PR | Yds/Att | LG |
Trey Larry | CCC | 2013 | 464 | 18 | 25.8 | 79 |
Malik Johns | Pasco | 2014 | 424 | 15 | 28.3 | 77 |
Andy Embody | CDS | 2013 | 297 | 16 | 18.6 | 90 |
Keith Hopkins | Wharton | 2013 | 268 | 15 | 17.9 | 45 |
Mark LaBarbera | Wesley Chapel | 2014 | 260 | 9 | 28.9 | 72 |
Eddie Burgos | Sunlake | 2013 | 196 | 14 | 14.0 | 60 |
Kendrick Mention | Tampa Catholic | 2013 | 181 | 11 | 16.5 | 54 |
Brandon Byrd | East Bay | 2013 | 163 | 5 | 32.6 | 69 |
Kendall Pearcey | Steinbrenner | 2013 | 160 | 14 | 11.4 | 40 |
Austin Lawrence | Osceola | 2013 | 157 | 9 | 17.4 | 47 |
Malik Johns, 2014, Pasco, had the second most Punt Return Yards and had a Punt Return TD in each of the Pirates’ first four games.
Top 10 Punt Return Average Leaders (min 5 Returns)
Returner | School | Class | PR Yds | PR | Yds/Att | LG | GP |
Brandon Byrd | East Bay | 2013 | 163 | 5 | 32.6 | 69 | 10 |
Mark LaBarbera | Wesley Chapel | 2014 | 260 | 9 | 28.9 | 72 | 10 |
Malik Johns | Pasco | 2014 | 424 | 15 | 28.3 | 77 | 11 |
Trey Larry | CCC | 2013 | 464 | 18 | 25.8 | 79 | 13 |
Corey Bennett | Blake | 2015 | 124 | 5 | 24.8 | 55 | 10 |
Alexander Ragland | Bloomingdale | 2014 | 107 | 5 | 21.4 | 50 | 5 |
Artavis Scott | East Lake | 2013 | 106 | 5 | 21.2 | 61 | 10 |
Andy Embody | CDS | 2013 | 297 | 16 | 18.6 | 90 | 12 |
Keith Hopkins | Wharton | 2013 | 268 | 15 | 17.9 | 45 | 11 |
Austin Lawrence | Osceola | 2013 | 157 | 9 | 17.4 | 47 | 11 |
Brandon Byrd, 2013, East Bay, had the Top Punt Return Average (32.6 YDs/Return).