For a list of the other Gatorade State Football POYs, click here.

THE WINNER: Darius Wade

THE BASICS

School: Middletown (Del.)
Grade: Senior
Position: QB
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 195 pounds

Athletic achievement: He passed for 2,662 yards and 35 touchdowns this past season, leading the Cavaliers (10-2) to the Division I championship game. Wade completed 145 of 220 passes, was intercepted just three times and also ran for seven touchdowns. A two-time First Team All-State selection, he started 48 varsity games at quarterback, won two state titles and was named state Offensive Player of the Year as a junior.

Academic excellence: Wade has maintained a 3.28 GPA.

Exemplary character: An elementary school mentor, he has volunteered locally feeding the homeless and has assisted with a middle school literacy program and a baseball league for students with disabilities.

THE PRAISE

“Wade looks like an NFL player with the way he throws it,” said George Kosanovich, head coach of rival Concord (Wilmington, Del.). “He’s tough, he takes hits, he can make every throw and he hits whoever is open. He can do everything well.”

THE FUTURE: Wade has verbally committed to Boston College.