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The Florida Athletic Coaches Association is a 24 district organization that covers all of Florida. Madison is in District 3, along with Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor. Each District is then broken down by classification, from 1A to 8A. Every year the coaches who are enrolled meet to vote on the Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, all-star players, all-academic players, all-state players and overall Coach of the Year. The process is simple; coaches make recommendations other than themselves for district Coach of the Year. They are listed and then voted on. The overall District 3 COY is nominated to coach in next year's all-star game which is held annually at Indian River State College. Head Coach Marcus Hawkins was named overall District 3 Coach of the Year. “I am elated to have received this award for the second year in a row,” said Hawkins. “To be recognized among your peers is outstanding. For them to see the improvement in our team from year to year says that these young ladies are working hard. Last year we were 18-10 which was an improvement from 15-11, the 2012-2013 season. This year we finished the regular season 22-4 and went 8-0 in one of the toughest girls basketball districts in this area.” Hawkins continued, “I realize that it takes a collective effort, and sometimes as the head coach you get all the acknowledgements (as well as the blame). However, I have a great group of assistants, Chris Neal and Lashon Arnold, who bring a wealth of knowledge and compassion to the table. The past two years we have put in a lot of time with these young ladies and we are starting to see the fruit of that labor. With that being said, I realize that coaching takes a toll on the family. I am grateful to my wife who is beyond supportive, even sacrificing, to help me devote such time to coaching.” Coaches utilize the same process for awarding athletes. They list players for each classification and then vote on the Player of the Year. MCHS student athlete, Jameica Cobb was honored with this title for the second year in a row. “She had an outstanding year,” said Coach Hawkins. “She has increased in every statistical category. This year she finished the regular season averaging 25.6 points, five rebounds and five steals per game. What is even more impressive is that she is doing it in the classroom and on the court. She currently has a 3.6 weighted GPA.” It is evident that Miss Cobb has shown great work ethic and deserves recognition. A big congratulations to Coach Hawkins and Jameica for their sucesses-- they are just two examples of the incredible people who frequent our great county.