MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins announced their Play Football Week 4 award winners in a program designed to celebrate youth football in South Florida. For each home game, the Dolphins will identify a high school coach of the week, high school player of the week, youth player of the week and team mom of the week. The high school coach of the week selection will celebrate those with long-standing tenure in the coaching community, paying tribute to Don Shula’s 50th season with the Miami Dolphins organization.
Award recipients will receive tickets to a Dolphins home game, be presented with a plaque on the field at Hard Rock Stadium and receive acknowledgement of their accomplishment in the game program and through the Dolphins’ social media platforms. The Dolphins also will recognize a team of the week who will be on field during the national anthem.
The program concludes at the Dolphins-Bengals game where the Dolphins will honor yearly award winners in all categories with the exception of the team of the year.
Week 4 Winners:
• High School Coach of the Week: Byron Walker from Archbishop McCarthy High School. Walker’s head coaching career began 43 years ago at Glades Day School in Belle Glade, Florida, where he coached from 1977-1991. Walker won three football state championships and eight consecutive trips to the state finals. His success lead him to American Heritage in Plantation where he served as the athletic director and head coach from 1992-2010 and led the Patriots to 14 state playoffs and one state championship appearance. In 2011, Walker became the head coach at Archbishop McCarthy, where he has led the Mavericks to two playoff appearances in nine years. In 2018, Walker was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Florida Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003.
• High School Player of the Week: Brian Smith from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Smith rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning catch on the final play in a 30-26 win over rival Monarch High School.
• Youth Player of the Week: Ja’vion Florence from the Cannonball Youth Club Wolverines 6U of the Miami Xtreme Youth Football League. Florence had three carries and three touchdowns in a win over the Kendall Hammock Warriors.
• Team Mom of the Week:Tara Gochin from the Parkland Rangers 10U of Gold Coast Pop Warner. This is Gochin’s second season as a team mom and she has proved herself extremely instrumental in the day-to-day activities of the team. She is available at every practice making sure the players are hydrated and taken care of. On game day, Gochin makes sure that all of the players are properly dressed and ready to play. On top of that, she also keeps the parents in the know as far as game schedules and timing of activities for the day.
• Team of the Week: Belen Jesuit Preparatory School.
The Junior Dolphins program encourages youth players and coaches to teach, learn and play football in a fun and safe environment. The Junior Dolphins program is designed to give kids access to learn the fundamentals of football using the NFL’s top resources. To grow the game, the Junior Dolphins program will work to educate coaches, parents and youth on the health and safety of football with a strong emphasis on character development. Junior Dolphins is building the next generation of Dolphins Fans.
2019 Miami Dolphins Play Football Weekly Winners
| HS Coach of the Week | HS Player of the Week | Youth Player of the Week | Team Mom of the Week | Team of the Week | |
| Week 1 | Jeff BertaniNorth Miami Beach Sr. HS | Henry Parrish Christopher Columbus HS | Brandon BennettPembroke Pines Optimist Bengals 11U (AYFL) | Maytte HillTamiami Colts (Greater Miami Pop Warner Football League) | North Miami Beach Sr. HS |
| Week 2 | Steve DavisPlantation HS | Earnest Johnson IIIMiami Northwestern Sr. HS | Jaivyn DarbyMiami Shores Spartans 13U (Miami Xtreme) | Montoya JacksonMiami Shores Spartans 13U (Miami Xtreme) | Plantation HS |
| Week 4 | Byron WalkerArchbishop McCarthy High School | Brian SmithMarjory Stoneman Douglas High School | Ja’vion FlorenceCannonball Youth Club Wolverines 6U (Miami Xtreme) | Tara GochinParkland Rangers 10U (Gold Coast Pop Warner) | Belen Jesuit Preparatory School |
