PAYTON SCOTT NAMED GATORADE OKLAHOMA BOYS FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO—In its 33rd year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes The Gatorade Company today announced Payton Scott of Charles Page High School as its 2017-2018 Gatorade Oklahoma Football Player of the Year. Scott is the first Gatorade Oklahoma Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Charles Page High School. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Scott as Oklahoma’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in December, Scott joins an elite alumni association of state award winners in 12 sports, including Mitchell Trubisky (2012-13, Mentor High School, Ohio), Greg Olsen (2002-03, Wayne Hills High School, N.J.), Matthew Stafford (2005-06 Highland Park High School, Texas), Harrison Smith (2006-07 Knoxville Catholic High School, Tenn.), Latavius Murray (2007-08, Onondaga High School, N.Y.), Brock Osweiler (2008-09, Flathead High School, Mont.) and Leonard Fournette (2014-15 and 2012-13, St. Augustine High School, La.). The 5-foot-5, 180-pound senior running back rushed for 2,597 yards and 33 touchdowns this past season, leading the Sandites to the Class 6AII quarterfinals. In breaking the single-season rushing record in Class 6A, the state’s largest division, Scott averaged 31 rushing attempts and 236 yards per game and 7.6 yards per carry for the 5-6 Sandites. This fall, Scott broke school records for rushing yards and rushing TDs in a season, and also set new school marks for single-game yards (507) and single-game TDs (7). A finalist for the Shelter Insurance Mr. Football Award in Oklahoma, Scott ran for 5,826 yards and 71 touchdowns in prep career. A state champion as a wrestler as well, Scott volunteers at the John 3:16 Mission homeless shelter while also coaching at youth wrestling and youth football camps. “I can say that unequivocally that Payton Scott is the best player I’ve seen in the state,” Bartlesville interim head coach Kyle Ppool said in a statement. “He is absolutely amazing on the field. We faced all those guys and he is the best of the group, and definitely most meaningful to his team.” Scott has maintained a weighted 3.5 GPA in the classroom. He remains undecided on his collegiate destination. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track and field and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport. Scott joins recent Gatorade Oklahoma Football Players of the Year Brandon George (2016-17, Jones High School), Mason Fine (2015-16 and 2014-15, Locust Grove High school),Cameron Batson (2013-14, Millwood High School), Stanvon Taylor (2012-13, East Central High School), Andrew Hearon (2011-12, Metro Christian Academy), David Glidden (2010-11, Mustang High School), and Demarco Cobbs (2009-10, Central High School) among the state’s list of former award winners. As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Scott will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program. Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support. 12 spotlight grants-one for each sport–will be announced throughout the year. For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.