High school football coaches across Maine nominated 21 players for the Frank J. Gaziano offensive and defensive lineman awards.
The nominees, announced Thursday, are eligible for $14,000 in scholarship aid. The winner in each category will receive $5,000 and four runners-up will be awarded $1,000.
Recipients will be announced at a luncheon ceremony Jan. 26 at the Augusta Civic Center.
The defensive nominees: James Boyd (Nokomis); Seth Bussell (Maine Central Institute); Colin Hutchins (Mt. Blue); Nathan Kapongo (Portland); Caleb Ladd (Foxcroft Academy); Jacob McCluskey (Brewer); Cole Melanson (Leavitt); Nicholas Mills (Cony); Thomas Palmer (Thornton Academy); and Morgan Welch-Thompson (Wells).
On offense: Elijah Bickford (Foxcroft Academy); Braxton Cassidy (Windham); Koa Farnsworth (Portland); Gilbert Isaacs (Mount Desert Island); Chase Lamontagne (Kennebunk): Aidan McGlone (Bonny Eagle); Connor Patten (Hermon); Zachary Reed (Scarborough); Noah Scanlon (John Bapst); Jarred Spencer (Old Town); and Zachary Steiger (Brewer).
“The selection committee will now begin the evaluation process to learn more about each of these fine young men, and what makes each one of them unique and most deserving of the award and scholarship,” said Jeff Kane, retired president of National Distributors, Inc., and Frank Gaziano’s son-in-law, in a prepared statement.
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