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SOUTH PORTLAND — High School football players from Mt. Blue, Leavitt and Cony high schools are among the 21 nominees for the 2018 Frank J. Gaziano Memorial Offensive and Defensive Lineman Awards. The nominees were named Dec. 27 after they were submitted by high school coaches in Maine.
The award recognizes senior football linemen who epitomize the character, leadership and perseverance of Frank J. Gaziano. The scholarship recipients are selected by an awards committee based on the student’s strong leadership on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The total of $14,000 in scholarships makes the award the largest high school scholarship of its kind in the country.
The committee has started the process of reviewing the nominees to determine the finalists. One offensive and one defensive lineman will each receive $5,000 and a first place trophy, and four runners-up will receive $1,000. The winners will be announced at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at a luncheon ceremony at the Augusta Civic Center.
Nominees are:
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: James Boyd, Nokomis Regional High School; Seth Bussell, Maine Central Institute; Colin Hutchins, Mt. Blue High School; Nathan Kapongo, Portland High School; Caleb Ladd, Foxcroft Academy; Jacob McCluskey, Brewer High School; Cole Melanson, Leavitt Area High School; Nicholas Mills, Cony High School; Thomas Palmer, Thornton Academy; Morgan Welch-Thompson, Wells High School.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Elijah Bickford, Foxcroft Academy; Braxton Cassidy, Windham High School; Koa Farnsworth, Portland High School; Gilbert Isaacs, Mount Desert Island High School; Chase Lamontagne, Kennebunk High School; Aidan McGlone, Bonny Eagle High School; Connor Patten, Hermon High School; Zachary Reed, Scarborough High School; Noah Scanlon, John Bapst Memorial High School; Jarred Spencer, Old Town High School; Zachary Steiger, Brewer High School.
“This year we surpassed the number of nominees from last year and it is clear from the praise these students have received from their coaches, athletic directors and principals that the committee will again have their hands full of great candidates who have proven to be dedicated to their sport, their academics and their communities,” said Jeff Kane, retired president of National Distributors Inc. and Frank Gaziano’s son-in-law. “The selection committee will now begin the evaluation process to learn more about each of these fine young men and what makes each one of them unique and most deserving of the award and scholarship. All the nominees and their families should be very proud of what they have accomplished and the future ahead for these young men.” The scholarship and awards program for Maine high school football linemen was created in 2010 in memory of Gaziano, founder of National Distributors in South Portland, and a former college All-American and professional football player with a lifelong passion for local sports.
Applicants from all levels of Maine’s high school football class system are eligible for the scholarship and must be nominated by their coaches. The selection committee for the Frank J. Gaziano Lineman Awards is chaired by Dan O’Connell. Committee members include Pete Cloutier, Kevin Cooper, Chris Davis, Pete DeSimon, Mike DeVito, Charles Hews, Luke Libby, Ed McAleney, Bob Sinclair and Jeff Wells. Former Gaziano Award winners include college football players Alec Clark (Maine Maritime Academy), Frank Curran (Husson University), Zach Davis (Maine Maritime Academy), Zordan Holman (University of Connecticut), Austin Lufkin (Wofford College), Jedidiah Scott (Assumption College), Luke Washburn (Husson University) and Kurt Massey (University of Maine).
This year marks the ninth year for the annual awards and banquet. In 2012, National Distributors Inc. increased the scholarship amount to $5,000 for the two winners and $1,000 for the two runners-up, making it the largest high school football scholarship of its kind in the country.
Funding for the $14,000 in total scholarships is provided by National Distributors, Inc. The selection committee will also be securing sponsorships ranging from $50 to $500 so players and families of the students can attend the awards luncheon ceremony free of charge.
Those who would like to attend or contribute to the scholarship fund, may contact event coordinator Jenn Bouffard at gazianoawards@gmail.com. For more information on the awards luncheon or the scholarship program, visit www.gazianolinemanawards.org.
