Meet the 2024 All-Orange Observer preseason football teams

West Orange and Southwest Orange always are littered with some of the most talented high school football players in the state, and the 2024 season will not be any different. 

To highlight the area’s best, we’ve put together the All-Orange Observer high school football preseason teams — along with the preseason offensive and defensive players of the year. 

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

Demetrice McCray, The First Academy Jr.

McCray, one of the various new faces lining up for The First Academy in 2024, is a four-star wide receiver prospect who holds offers from the likes of UCF, Iowa State, West Virginia, North Carolina, Ole Miss and many more. 

The 6-foot, 187-pound transfer from Leesburg High caught 32 passes for 637 yards — an average of 19.9 yards a reception — with seven touchdowns as a sophomore. With size, physicality and speed, McCray not only can do it all from the receiver spot, he’s an incredible fit in the Royals offense. 

TFA coach Jeff Conaway, who comes from the Gus Malzahn school of offense, uses a horizontally stretching spread offense — that throws a ton of screens — so his offense can set up the vertical passing game. McCray’s freaky athleticism allows him to both take any screen pass to the house and blow past defenders on a go route. He’s also a willing and nasty blocker in the run game. Throw in the connection between him and TFA’s starting quarterback Salomon Georges Jr. — who also transferred from Leesburg — and McCray has all of the ingredients to be a game-changer from Day 1. 

Preseason First Team Offense

Quarterback

Stanley Anderson-Lofton, Dr. Phillips, Sr. 

Running backs

Jamarie Pierre, Horizon, Sr. 

Jaelyn Powell, The First Academy, So.

Wide receivers

Mykel Calixte, Dr. Phillips, Sr.

Demetrice McCray, The First Academy, Jr.

Evan James, The First Academy, Sr.

Tight end

Caleb Nellans, Horizon, Sr.

Offensive line

Chancellor Barclay, The First Academy, Jr.

Sean Kentish, The First Academy, Jr.

Nico Marti, West Orange, Sr.

Parker Moss, Olympia, Sr.

Evan Reinhart, Horizon, Sr.

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

Ivan Taylor, West Orange Sr.

With NFL bloodlines — the son of two-time Super Bowl champion Ike Taylor — Ivan Taylor is a four-star defensive back who is committed to Michigan and is the 41st-ranked player in the country for the 2025 class, according to 247Sports. 

The 6-foot,174-pound do-it-all defensive back broke on the scene early in his time at West Orange and kept it up for the past three seasons, earning himself offers from FSU, Louisville, Notre Dame, Tennessee, USC, Wisconsin and plenty others.

As a senior, Taylor will be leading a talented Warriors secondary that should cause havoc to any opposition that tries to throw the ball. And if your answer is to run it against the West Orange defense, well, Taylor can come down into the box with the best of them and make you regret that too. 2024 should cap off a sensational career for Taylor. 

Preseason First Team Defense

Defensive line

Diego De Pina, Ocoee, Sr.

Maurice Jones Jr., Dr. Phillips, Jr. 

Xavier Wall, Olympia, Sr. 

Alex Willis, The First Academy, Jr.

Linebackers

Aiden Cubero, Foundation Academy, Jr. 

Noah Maddox, The First Academy, Jr.

Michael McClenton, Ocoee, Jr.

Defensive backs

Dariyon Gordon, Ocoee, Jr. 

Devin Jackson, The First Academy, Jr.

Ivan Taylor, West Orange, Sr.

Maliki Wright, Dr. Phillips, Sr.

Preseason First Team Utility & Special Teams 

Athletes

Devonte Anderson, West Orange, Jr. 

CJ Bronaugh, Windermere, Jr.

Joshua Guerrier, Ocoee, Sr.

Kicker, punter

Braedyn White, Foundation Academy, Sr.

Preseason Second Team

OFFENSE

• QB Salomon Georges Jr., The First Academy, Sr. 
• RB Nehemiah Burgess, West Orange, Jr. 
• RB Henry Rogers, Windermere, Jr.
• WR Marvin Brown, Ocoee, So. 
• WR Ja’Cari Jackson, Olympia, Jr. 
• WR Peyton Hollern, Windermere Prep, Jr.
• TE Carson Rutledge, Olympia, Jr.
• OL Noah Devine, The First Academy, Sr. 
• OL Deuce Forrester, Windermere, Jr. 
• OL Logan Futch, Legacy Charter, Sr.
• OL David Gardner, Dr. Phillips, Sr.
• OL Jonathan Robinson, Lake Buena Vista, Sr.

DEFENSE

• DL Daniel Bradley, Windermere, Sr. 
• DL Stephen Ford, Foundation Academy, Sr.
• DL Blaze Jones, The First Academy, Jr. 
• DL DJ Whiley, The First Academy, Jr.
• LB Aden Hall, The First Academy, Sr.
• LB Cole Huntley, Foundation, So. 
• LB Jake Threadgill, Legacy Charter, Sr. 
• DB Dylan Hoskins, Ocoee, Jr. 
• DB Donovan Lanier, West Orange, Sr. 
• DB Kims Pierre, Ocoee, Sr.
• DB Chakai Scott, West Orange, Jr.

UTILITY & SPECIAL TEAMS 

• ATH Brian Dillard, West Orange, So. 
• ATH Bryce Speed, Windermere, Sr.
• ATH Kamauri Whitfield, The First Academy, So.
• K/P Allesandro Romero, CFCA, Sr.