Finalists revealed for Simone Award, which honors KC’s top high school football player

The finalists for the 33rd annual Thomas A. Simone Award were narrowed to a field of four Tuesday, and the pack includes one familiar name.

Fort Osage senior Skylar Thompson is a finalist for the second straight season. In a ceremony inside Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday, Blue Springs South senior Adam Cofield, Mill Valley senior Christian Jegen and Belton senior Zach Willis were also announced as finalists.

The winner will be announced on Dec. 8.

Thompson, who has signed with Kansas State, led the Indians to their first Missouri Class 5 state championship in program history Saturday, when he accounted for seven touchdowns in a 63-28 win against Chaminade.

Cofield scored four touchdowns for Blue Springs South in its Missouri Class 6 state-championship win Friday, capping the Jaguars' unbeaten season. The two-way player was also the Suburban Gold Conference defensive player of the year.

Jegen, also a two-way player, scored 30 total touchdowns for Mill Valley, which won the Kansas Class 5A state championship Saturday.

In Belton's first winning season since 2007, Willis ran for 2,628 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Former Lee's Summit quarterback Drew Lock won the award last year.

Other finalists:

▪ Buck Buchanan Award (top lineman/linebacker): Amani Bledsoe, Lawrence; Adam Cofield, Blue Springs South; Chester Graves, Park Hill; Sima Thomas, Fort Osage

▪ Frank Fontana Award (top small-class player): Jabril Cox, Raytown South; Dawson Downing, Bishop Miege; Kobe Hardin, Odessa; Logan Hinck, Kearney

▪ Bobby Bell Award (top small-class linebacker): Cale Garrett, Kearney; Jase Hollingsworth, Odessa; Brock Hughes, O'Hara; Kaelin Key, Bishop Miege

▪ Otis Taylor Award (top wide receiver): Jafar Armstrong, Bishop Miege; Christian Jegen, Mill Valley; Briley Moore-McKinney, Blue Springs South; Isaiah Simmons, Olathe North

This story was originally published December 1, 2015 at 7:18 PM with the headline "Finalists revealed for Simone Award, which honors KC’s top high school football player."