Brandon McIlwain Is Maxwell Club PA Player Of The Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — His stats and contributions to his team are undeniable, yet Brandon McIlwain boarded a plane Thursday afternoon from Columbia, South Carolina with an inkling of doubt. The former Council Rock North quarterback, now a freshman enrolled at South Carolina, was being honored along with 61 other outstanding high school football players across the state.
One was going to be selected as Pennsylvania's choice for the prestigious Jim Henry Award—and McIlwain was a rather easy one to make.
The talented the 6-foot-1, 195-pound quarterback, who began classes at South Carolina on 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 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.
McIlwain will join a who's-who of football dignitaries from the NFL's Cam Newton, to Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry on the main stage of the Maxwell Club's national dinner at the Tropicana in Atlantic City on Friday, March 11.
McIlwain made it a point to attend the national dinner last year, as a guest of his trainer, former Eagle Vaughn Hebron, to see what the event was like and made it a goal to try and get back. This time, he'll be seated on the dais in front a few thousand people.
"This is just an amazing honor," said McIlwain, who's playing baseball for the Gamecocks this spring. "Vaughn took me last year to see what it's like and to set my goals high. I was always hoping to get the Maxwell award. It was a busy year. I have a great support system with my family and my coaches. There's an advantage of leaving college early, but I'm still very connected to my high school experience. High school was an amazing experiences for me and a great time in my life. There was nothing like high school experience and share this time with my family, and be able to sleep in my own bed. I'll be there for the national dinner."
