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A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year

By Mike White | Wednesday, Sept. 23, 3:15 p.m.

Gatorade is celebrating its 25th player of the year anniversary this year and I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at those players of the year.

Each year, Gatorade selects a national player of the year, as well as a state player of the year, for 12 different sports. Here are the Pennsylvania football players of the year: It's interesting to see who made it big and who didn't do much after high school. One thing that's ridiculous about this award was Jeannette's Terrelle Pryor didn't win it in 2007. Someone at Gatorade must have been drinking something other than Gatorade that year because must about every publication was picking Pryor as national player of the year.

Who do you think was the best of the bunch below? You can leave a comment in the "comments" section.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at the national players of the year.

2008 Zach Barket, RB-LB, Schuylkill Haven

2007 Brendan Beal, LB, Bethlehem Liberty

2006 Pat Bostick, QB, Manheim Township

2005 Pat Devlin, QB, Downingtown East

2004 Justin King, RB-DB, Gateway

2003 Chad Henne, QB, Wilson

2002 Marcus Stone, Bishop McDevitt

2001 Steve Breaston, QB-DB, Woodland Hills

2000 Charles Rush, OL-DL, Erie Prep

1999 Jeff Smoker, QB, Manheim Central

1998 Bryan Scott, RB-DB, Central Bucks East

1997 Dave Armstrong, FB-LB, Central Bucks West

1996 LaVar Arrington, RB-LB, North Hills

1995 Dave Robbins, QB, Berwick

1994 Dan Kendra, QB, Bethlehem Catholic

1993 Floyd Wedderburn, OT, Upper Darby

1992 Ron Powlus, QB, Berwick

1991 Cliff Stroud, OL-DL, Highlands

1990 Greg DeLong, TE-DE, Parkland

1989 Kyle Brady, TE, Cedar Cliff

1988 Sean Gilbert, OL-LB, Aliquippa

1987 Curtis Bray, TE-LB, Gateway

1986 Greg Skrepenak, OL, Wilkes-Barre G.A.R.

1985 Michael Owens, RB, Carlisle

Posted Sep 23 2009, 03:13 PM by Mike White

Comments

Kingsmill wrote re: A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year
on Wed, Sep 23 2009 10:10 PM

Breaston, Arrington, Gilbert and unfulfilled expectations.

BnGFan95 wrote re: A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year
on Thu, Sep 24 2009 8:03 AM

Thanks for the list. Hadn't realized that Pryor didn't win the award his senior year. Unbelievable. Any ideas where Beal wound up?

I'll cut Arrington slack. I really do think his body gave out on him. I remember watching Gilbert in HS and thought he would be a beast. No idea what really happened there. I call it the Dwight Collins syndrome.

Curtis Bray was another player on here, who's body just gave up.

I'd thought Owens was older than that.

Whistle Pig wrote re: A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year
on Thu, Sep 24 2009 8:15 AM

Question: Was Michael Owens kin to Billy?

Observation: While not totally "true", this really sheds some light on the complexity and challenge of forecasting great scholastic athletes into more than that.

And notably @ the QB slot.  There it may be better to be good playing with a great team and coach than to be great playing with a lesser bunch.

Mike White wrote re: A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year
on Thu, Sep 24 2009 9:48 AM

As for Breaston, Arrington and Gilbert unfulfilled expectations? I don't know. Breaston caught 77 passes a year ago for a Super Bowl team. This from a 5th round draft pick who many thought would only be special teams player... Arrington played seven years in NFL, made Pro Bowl three times. Not a Hall of Fame career like some predicted, but still not bad. I saw him a year ago and talked with him a few times since. He doesn't have much left to his knees. That had a lot to do with his career. ... As for Gilbert, the guy played in the NFL for 11 years. Started 132 games. Not a bad career. ... Yes, Michael Owens is Billy Owens' brother. In fact, when Carlisle won the first of four straight state basketball championship in 1985, Michael Owens started as a senior - and Billy started as a freshman.

BnGFan95 wrote re: A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year
on Thu, Sep 24 2009 1:41 PM

Agreed. Gilbert would be the closest here to "unfulfilling expectations", and as Mike points out he had an ok career.

I believe Michael was the first one they took #44 out for in some decades (when he got to the Cuse)..

What year did Brandon Short come out? People still talk about him and what he did in the state championship.

Kingsmill wrote re: A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year
on Thu, Sep 24 2009 8:39 PM

I should have been more clear that those three guys are the only ones that went on to have a remarkable NFL career. The others had unfulfilled expectations.

Tiesto wrote re: A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year
on Thu, Sep 24 2009 9:46 PM

Bryan Scott and Kyle Brady unfulfilled?  Scott is still an NFL starter and Brady was for 10+ years.

Mike White wrote re: A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year
on Fri, Sep 25 2009 7:08 AM

Answering the above, Brandon Short's senior football season at McKeesport was 1994. No doubt, he should have been picked the player of the year in the state. One of the reasons was because he led his team to a state title. Might have had the best defensive performance in a state championship game I have ever seen. But don't forget, Dan Kendra (player of the year in 1994) was considered one of the top QBs in the country, even though he ended up a fullback at Florida State. The selection of Kendra as Pa. player of the year had a little merit.

hobowitharolex wrote re: A look back at Gatorade Pa. players of the year
on Fri, Sep 25 2009 7:32 PM

pryor should've been player of the year in 06 and 07

austin scott ran for about 4000 yards and led his team to the AAAA title, he should've been POY in 2002, maybe even paul pozlusny who starred at running back and linebacker for hopewell's AAA title team

i think you can make an argument for tyler palko winning over breaston in 2001

Jeff Smoker wrote Jeff Smoker
on Sat, Oct 3 2009 5:56 PM

Pingback from  Jeff Smoker