SALEM, Va. – It's been another great prep football season, with Salem, Appomattox County and Roanoke Catholic winning state football titles, and Heritage finishing as state runner-up.
Erin Brookshire of the morning show got things started with the 1st and 10 kickoff spirit award going to Liberty High School in Bedford.
1st and 10 Player of the year honors goes to Elijah Davis of Heritage High. The senior back put up a staggering 3,600 yards rushing and 61 total touchdowns rushing and receiving as the Pioneers finished as the class 3 state runner-up.
1st and 10 Coach of the Year goes to Appomattox's County's Doug Smith who completed a three-peat this year despite losing a ton of quality players to graduation a year ago.
"It takes a big group of people to do what they’ve done. One thing I can say about her care kids is they never quit. They were, there were some of them were inexperienced, many of them playing varsity for the first year that they played and they just believed in what the coaches told them. You know when you believe in your heart you can do something and you have the faith to act it out I believe good things can happen," Smith says.
"We were just building up, all the young people have a good senior class to look up to, and we set it up for them so when they come up there and they know what’s already expected of them--to come up there on that level and play. I mean it means a lot because to be up here with a lot of great people like Grayson and Cole Beck, I mean it means a lot because we been working all season," Davis says.
The 5th annual Josh Leonard Courage and Commitment Award goes to Roanoke Catholic's assistant coach Kenny Wimmer, who battled throat cancer and still managed to help coach the team despite ongoing treatments..
Head Celtics coach Bob Price accepted for Wimmer.