ALLENTOWN CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL STANDOUT NAMED
GATORADE® PENNSYLVANIA FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
CHICAGO (December 2, 2010) — In its third decade of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Brendan Nosovitch of Allentown Central Catholic High School as its 2010-11 Gatorade Pennsylvania Football Player of the Year. Nosovitch is the first Gatorade Pennsylvania Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Allentown Central Catholic High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Nosovitch as Pennsylvania’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award announced in December, Nosovitch joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Wes Welker (1999-00, Heritage Hall HS, Okla.), Terrell Suggs (1999-00, Hamilton HS, Ariz.), Anquan Boldin (1998-99, Pahokee HS, Fla.) and Jerome Bettis (1989-90, Mackenzie HS, Mich.).
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior quarterback led the Vikings to a 13-0 record entering in the Class AAA state quarterfinals against Clearfield High, scheduled for Dec. 3. At the time of his selection, Nosovitch had completed 148-of-252 attempts for 2,307 yards and 35 touchdowns. A returning Class AAA Second Team All-State selection as named by The Associated Press, he had also rushed for 1,283 yards and 18 touchdowns on 201 carries. As a sophomore in 2009, Nosovitch threw for 2,085 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 1,007 yards and 19 touchdowns. He is the first quarterback in state history to eclipse 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive seasons.
Nosovitch has maintained a 3.23 GPA in the classroom. A member of his school’s student council, he has volunteered on behalf of the Best Friends Forever special needs mentoring program in addition to donating his time as a youth football and basketball instructor.
“He’s a dual-threat quarterback, so he’s real dangerous when he improvises,” said Tony Trisciani, head coach of rival Whitehall High. “When he gets out of the pocket, he makes things happen. He runs like a running back; he doesn’t run like a quarterback. He’s a talented quarterback as well. He’s got a strong arm. He’s got a lot of weapons, and he’s able to make the decisions that are necessary in their style of offense. He’s got a lot of command when he’s out there.”
Nosovitch will begin his senior year of high school next fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Nosovitch joins recent Gatorade Pennsylvania Football Players of the Year Kyle Smith (2009-10, Lancaster Catholic), Zach Barket (2008-09, Schuylkill Haven Area) and Brendan Beal (2007-08, Liberty) among the state’s list of former award winners.
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