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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 1, 2002
TAMPA -- Eddie Ivery had never really heard of the Guy Toph Award. He didn't know the history behind the 63-year-old trophy or the former winners who have gone on to play at major colleges and in the NFL.
Thursday morning, Ivery received a lesson in Hillsborough County football history, and at the same time became part of it when he was awarded the 63rd annual Guy Toph Award.
The award casts into the spotlight the Chamberlain running back who was more content to stand in the background as the team's spiritual and silent leader rather than garner all the attention afforded some of his teammates.
Ivery is the third consecutive running back, following King's Fred Reid and Gaither's Lydell Ross, to receive the trophy, which is awarded annually to the senior who excels on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Part of that success is due to his unique outlook on the game.
"Football is just like life," Ivery said. "You need to have teamwork. When you fall, you have to get back up. You have to be able to cooperate with anyone. If you can't cooperate with people, you're not going to go very far in life. Leadership. You have to be a leader. If not, you're going to fall behind."
Ivery, who has narrowed his college choices to Georgia Tech (where his father, Eddie Lee Ivery, is the strength and conditioning coach), Lafayette and Jacksonville University, often got lost in the shuffle as Chamberlain finished with a 12-game winning streak that ended in the state final.
"He's a great guy. If there was a leader of our team, he was it," said defensive lineman Brodrick Bunkley, who won the Jimbo Kynes Lineman Award on Thursday. "He was very quiet, but there is more than one kind of leader."
Ivery, who carries a 4.16 grade point average and is a member of the National Honor Society, finished the season with more than 1,000 yards rushing and 14 scores. Also Thursday, Chamberlain golfer Brooke Layton was awarded the Casey Most Valuable Golfer Award. Wharton's Brian Wertz won the same award as the most valuable male golfer.
Durant's Jenna Jordan, who will attend Utah State next year, was the recipient of the Allen C. Griffin Memorial Volleyball Award after leading the Cougars in kills the past two years. Tommy Pollock, who holds nine out of a possible 11 swimming records at Plant City, and Christine Anseeuw, a two-time state champion, were each awarded the Jessie Helfrich Hicks Award for Outstanding Swimmers.