At the Ed Doherty Award Luncheon today, the Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club (GCSGC) announced that senior quarterback Nicco Marchiol of Hamilton High School in Chandler is named the recipient of 2021 Ed Doherty Award. Members of the GCSGC Ed Doherty Award Selection Committee chose Marchiol based on his outstanding performance throughout the 2021 season. Fifty-nine athletes were nominated for the award, which is the highest performance honor that an Arizona high school football player can earn.
Marchiol’s speech praised his family, teammates, coaches, the AIA, and even competing schools for his success and that of Arizona high school football’s during this stressful time for the community-building sport.
Marchiol was named on GCSGC’s 55-player Week 3 Watch List™ released on September 7, 2021. Marchiol has proven to be a winner in his two years as the Huskies starting quarterback: he took Hamilton to the brink of the Open title in 2020; is ranked Top 10 in the nation by MaxPreps; and is the top overall seed in the 2021 Open bracket. His season totals for the 11-1 Huskies finished at 2,690yds passing (67% comp) and 37TDs. This earned him Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year & NFF Frank Kush Player of the Year honors, plus a spot on the Army All-American team. He will head to the Big XII next season to play for West Virginia University.
In addition to Marchiol, the top five finalists for the Ed Doherty Award included the following:
Angel Flores – Sr. QB – Casa Grande
Flores was perfect this season – we’re talking 14-0 4A State Champs perfection. He led the Cougars to their first state title since 1958 with a 33-28 thriller over Poston Butte totaling 4TDs (1 pass/3 rush). His season totals of 2,671yds passing (76% comp), 26 TDs, 1,292yds rushing, 19TDs, defining him as a true dual-threat QB. His career totals of 7,957yds passing (62TDs) and 3,583yds rushing (60TDs) make him the only player in Arizona history to join the 7,500 pas/3,500 run club! Flores will remain in Arizona for college as he has signed to play for Northern Arizona University.
Javen Jacobs – Sr. ATH – Saguaro
As a 4-year member of the Sabercats program, Jacobs capped his senior season by leading Saguaro to the Open championship where he scored 2 TDs in a 20-15 win over the five-time defending champion, Chandler. He is ranked #13 in the nation by MaxPreps. Jacobs’ season as a multiple threat athlete produced 1,722 all-purpose yards and 14TDs, scoring on receptions, runs and kick returns. His impressive career totals are 2,815 all-purpose yds and 22TDs. He remains undecided on his college choice.
Brayton Silbor – Sr. QB – Chaparral
Silbor capped off his Firebird career with his 2nd appearance in the 6A title game, and led the 6A conference in passing yards (4,159yds) and TD passes (43). The two-time Desert Valley Region Player of the Year and the 2020 6A champion is the top pro-style quarterback in Arizona, and leaves Chaparral as its all-time passing leader with 7,636yds. He remains undecided on his college choice.
Richard Stallworth – Jr. QB – Yuma Catholic
Stallworth led the Shamrocks (12-2) back to its 2nd straight 3A title game this season and set passing records along the way. His 4,863yds was the most for Arizona high school quarterbacks in all classifications, and fourth in the nation. Sixty-seven TDs also led the state. As a junior, his current total passing 8,666yds make him a real threat to surpass the state’s all-time mark of 11.083 set by Pinnacle QB Spencer Rattler in 2019.
To learn more about the Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club and previous Ed Doherty Award winners, visit http://www.gcsgridiron.com/.
About the Ed Doherty Award
For 35 years, the Ed Doherty Award has been the State of Arizona’s highest individual high school football honor and is awarded annually to the state’s most outstanding high school football player by the Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club. The Ed Doherty Award recognizes the player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. The winner of the award epitomizes great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. In addition to on-field performance, the Ed Doherty Award recognizes the well-rounded accomplishments of community involvement, school pride, and academics.
About the Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club
The Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club is the steward of the Ed Doherty Award and is the most meaningful advocate of high school football in the State of Arizona. The mission of the Grand Canyon State Gridiron Club is to represent Arizona amateur athletics by bringing national attention to the extraordinary qualities of our young people and serve in the pursuit of athletic achievement, academic advancement and greater social affinity.
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