Liberty Blue Jays’ Jaxon Hicks wins 2024 Simone Award as KC’s top football player
Jaxon Hicks of Liberty High School is the 2024 winner of the Simone Award, given annually to the top high school football player in the Kansas City metro.
Hicks received the 42nd Simone Award in a special ceremony at his high school gym on Tuesday morning. Dylan Dunn of Blue Valley Southwest won the 41st edition of the award last year.
Hicks racked up massive stats this season, carrying the ball 342 times for 2,717 yards and 31 touchdowns as the Blue Jays reached the Missouri Class 6 state semifinals.
His 278-yard effort against Blue Springs South on Nov. 15 — the night Liberty clinched its first district title since 2005 — moved Hicks past Lee Thompson for the school’s single-season rushing-yardage record.
The original Simone Award was created in 1931 by Dr. D.M. Nigro and bestowed until his death in 1976. The award was reinstated in 1983 by Anthony Simone and his wife as a tribute to their son, Tommy.
The winner is determined through votes from the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association, high school head coaches around the metro and select members of local media organizations.
Past winners of the Simone Award include former Royals outfielder Bubba Starling, former K-State quarterback Skylar Thompson, former NFL quarterback Josh Freeman, and Drew Lock, the former Mizzou star from Lee’s Summit who now plays for the New York Giants.
THE 2024 SIMONE FINALISTS
Here are this year’s finalists for, and winners of, the Simone, Fontana, Buchanan, Bell and Taylor awards:
Simone Award: Banks Bowen, senior QB, Lawrence; Jaxon Hicks, senior RB, Liberty; Rocco Marriott, junior QB, Platte County; Isaiah Mozee, senior WR, Lee’s Summit North; Tate Nagy, senior QB, Blue Valley West. Winner: Hicks.
Frank Fontana Award (best smaller-school player): Jordan Haley, senior QB, Braymer; Marco Rodriguez, senior QB, Bishop Miege; Carter Temple, sophomore QB, Kearney; Kobe Westphal, senior QB, Warrensburg. Winner: Westphal.
Buck Buchanan Award (top big-school LB/OL/DL): Andrew Babalolo, senior OL, Blue Valley Northwest; Dawson Merritt, senior LB, Blue Valley; Anthony Thompson, senior LB, Fort Osage; Jayden Woods, senior LB/DE, Mill Valley. Winner: Woods.
Bobby Bell Award (top smaller-school LB/OL/DL): Finn Cusick, senior DE, Bishop Miege; Theo Grace, senior LB, Kearney; Ashton Moore, senior LB, Louisburg; Bo Smith, senior OL/DL, Chillicothe. Winner: Moore.
Otis Taylor Award (best WR/TE): Karsten Fiene, junior WR, Lee’s Summit; Isaiah Mozee, senior WR, Lee’s Summit North; Quin Myers, senior WR, Blue Valley West; Larry Porter, senior WR, Raytown. Winner: Mozee.
PAST THOMAS A. SIMONE AWARD WINNERS
1983: Jeff Kelso, Park Hill
1984: Shawn Long, Grandview
1985: Craig Phillips, Lee’s Summit
1986: Tim Ryan, Rockhurst
1987: Kenyon Rasheed, Rockhurst
1988: Derrick Hart, Schlagle
1989: Jeff Handy, Blue Springs
1990: Kevin McIntosh, Hickman Mills
1991: Andy Murray, Blue Valley
1992: Nate Minnis, Blue Springs
1993: Jason Thoren, Lawrence
1994: Eddie Brooks, Blue Springs South
1995: Arland Bruce III, Olathe North
1996: Ladell Betts, Blue Springs
1997: Josh Brewer, Olathe North
1998: Sean Doyle, Rockhurst
1999: Brandon Shelby, Rockhurst
2000: Darren Sproles, Olathe North
2001: Maurice Mack, Olathe North
2002: Jim Bouknight, Olathe North
2003: Michael Keenan, Oak Park
2004: Chase Coffman, Raymore–Peculiar
2005: Josh Freeman, Grandview
2006: Zack Rampy, Blue Valley
2007: Nathan Scheelhaase, Rockhurst
2008: Blaine Dalton, Blue Springs South
2009: James Franklin, Olathe North
2010: Bubba Starling, Gardner Edgerton
2011: Evan Boehm, Lee’s Summit West
2012: Dalvin Warmack, Blue Springs
2013: Dalvin Warmack, Blue Springs[1]
2014: Drew Lock, Lee’s Summit
2015: Skylar Thompson, Fort Osage
2016: Julian Ross, Staley
2017: Ronnie Bell, Park Hill
2018: Graham Mertz, Blue Valley North
2019: Arland Bruce, Olathe North
2020: Conrad Hawley, Raymore-Peculiar
2021: Mikey Pauley, Blue Valley Northwest
2022: Kendrick Bell, Park Hill
2023: Dylan Dunn, Blue Valley Southwest
2024: Jaxon Hicks, Liberty
This story was originally published December 10, 2024 at 12:15 PM.