Just off where the field lies on Sundays at State Farm Stadium, the red carpet was laid out, camera lights were flashing, and the athletes were getting the star treatment.

The Cardinals on Thursday night held the inaugural Arizona Cardinals High School Football Honors presented by Avnet. More than 50 players and coaches from boys tackle football and girls flag football seasons were celebrated at the Morgan Athletic Club, putting a bow on a successful year of high school football.

Ten players and two coaches were recognized for yearly awards including the Larry Fitzgerald Boys Player of the Year, awarded to Roye Oliver III from Hamilton, and the Violet Bidwill Girls Player of the Year, which went to Kayla Tacker of Casa Grande Union.

"I want to thank all of my coaches for putting me in this position, because it's not easy to get here, especially as a sophomore," Oliver said. "I want to get Arizona football more known, especially like California and Texas. I want it to be big."

Weekly award winners from the 2025 season were acknowledged, as were Audrina Wenze-Atencio and Bodie Zamorano, the two nominees for the NFL's Latino Youth Honors.

The winner of the "Grit and Resilience Award" was Kelsie Zavala from Verrado. She missed the 2025 season after she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma.

"As much as having cancer is not ideal for anyone, you know, you just make the best out of what you can and just create positivity," Zavala said. "When you see people like rally around you like this, it's just really good experience."

While at the Morgan Athletic Club, the athletes, coaches, and families were served dinner and and then watched a program which highlighted the campaign. The ceremony will air on Arizona's Family Sports at a later date.

"Man, it's been awesome to see just the growth in all of it," Boys Coach of the Year recipient Travis Dixon said. "Kids are able to get recruited pretty heavily out here. The Valley is growing as we speak, especially on this side of the Valley. It's just awesome to see that everything is, you know, just taking off in the right trajectory."

The Arizona Cardinals High School Football Honors is another way the Cardinals have invested in the growth of youth athletics throughout the Valley. This year was the second season the Cardinals and Arizona's Family Sports produced the girls flag football game of the week.

"High school football, and football in general, teaches you a lot of lessons that we learn in life," Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said. "It's about hard work, about discipline, and about resilience. We all get knocked down, and it's how you get back up and get ready for the next play in life and on the football field. It teaches you the idea of teamwork, sportsmanship, and working together for a common goal. That's why is this game so special."

The 12 annual award winners are listed below: