Council Rock North's Brandon McIlwain Is The Player Of The Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Brandon McIlwain will be getting more than his share of frequent flyer miles over these next two months, because the South Carolina freshman should be coming home pretty often to collect some hardware after the season he had.
The gifted the 6-foot-1, 195-pound quarterback, who left Council Rock North on begin classes at South Carolina this past Monday, Jan. 11, threw for 1,720 yards and 18 TDs, and rushed for 1,545 yards and 31 TDs this season.
He was the sole reason why the Indians finished 7-4 overall, won the Suburban One League Continental Conference title, their first title since 2006, and reached the PIAA District 1 Class AAAA playoffs, where they lost to Upper Darby in the first round.
McIlwain earned Pennsylvania's Gatorade Player of the Year, the AP Class AAAA Player of the Year, a Mini Max Award from the prestigious Maxwell Club, Southeastern Pennsylvania Player of the Year by The Inquirer—and something else—CBS Philly's Player of the Year.
He could arguably be the "Athlete of the Year," considering McIlwain is the only high school athlete in the nation to compete in the Elite 11, a camp for the top 18 quarterbacks in the country, and the Area Code Games, as one of the best high school baseball players in the country.
But it's football that most colleges sought him out for.
What's more is McIlwain played most of this past season with a grade-one sprained AC joint in his right shoulder and a fractured right thumb, which caused him to miss one play.
"Brandon couldn't grip the ball and he didn't miss a snap; by the end of the season, Children and Youth Services should have come after me," joked former Council Rock North Adam Collachi, who resigned after the season. "The kid was playing 150 snaps a game. I would have to yell at him for taking some of those hits. But it's not in his nature.
"A couple of games I had to take his helmet so he wouldn't go back out on the field. He could have easily said he had a broken thumb and he wasn't playing this week—and no one would have questioned it. He's that physically and mentally tough. He missed one offensive play this year. We're going to really miss him here."
Collachi said McIlwain's leadership and attention to detail also set him apart. It's why he owns every passing record in school history, which led to a career total of 10,427 yards of offense and 124 touchdowns (6,545 yards and 54 TDs passing; 3,882 yards and 70 TDs rushing).
Against undefeated Quakertown, with its season at stake on Oct. 30, McIlwain tallied 430 yards of total offense, completing 17-of-25 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown. He had 28 carries for 209 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 41-31 win. That doesn't include the 10 tackles he made on defense.
"Brandon is a special kid who did special things all four years for us," Collachi said. "It's why it was so hard to say goodbye."