Two members of the Pope John Paul II Preparatory School football team have been selected as semifinalists for the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards.
Junior quarterback Kenny Minchey is a semifinalist for the award for the Division II-AAA classification, and senior kicker Andrew Southard has been named a semifinalist as the top kicker in the state, regardless of classification.
Five semifinalists were announced for each classification and the Kicker of the Year category. There are six classifications in Division I and three in Division II. The three finalists for each award will be unveiled by Titans radio broadcaster Mike Keith and Titans head coach Mike Vrabel on Tuesday, Nov. 23. The finalists will be invited to attend the awards luncheon at Nissan Stadium on Dec. 7, where the winner of each award will be announced.
A committee of statewide sports writers selected winners based on performance in the 2021 regular season. Academics and character were also taken into consideration. High school head coaches and members of the media nominated the finalists.
During the 2021 regular season, Minchey completed 181 of 288 pass attempts for a 62.85 completion percentage, 2,684 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns.
Southard was five of nine in field goal attempts, his longest being 49 yards. He was 46 of 46 on extra point kicks. Against Knoxville Catholic, Southard hit a 47-yard field goal as time expired to give the Knights a 36-33 victory.
This is the 37th year that the Mr. Football Awards have been presented to Tennessee’s best high school football players and the 15th year the award has been sponsored by the Tennessee Titans. A Mr. Football trophy will be presented to the winners of each category. A Mr. Football plaque will be presented to the other two finalists in each category. The other semi-finalists will each receive a certificate.
