After an electric season in which he compiled 52 total touchdowns (30 passing, 21 rushing, one receiving) and 3,719 yards from scrimmage, Lexington High senior quarterback Sal Frelick has been named Gatorade Football Player of the Year for the state of Massachusetts.
The 5-foot-9-inch, 175-pound Frelick led Lexington to a 9-2 record and a first-round victory over Andover in the Division 1 North state tournament.
He has verbally committed to play baseball at Boston College next year.
With his ability to buy time within the pocket, reverse field for huge gains on the ground, or find teammates down the field on improbable passes, Frelick drew comparisons to a famous former Boston College Eagle in Doug Flutie.
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“In my 28 years coaching, Sal Frelick is the most difficult player I’ve ever defended,” said Brockton defensive coordinator Bob O’Neil.
“He’s a once-in-a-generation type player. He has a combination of awareness, intelligence, speed and ball skills.”
The Middlesex League Most Valuable Player rushed for 13.2 yards per carry, finishing his four-year career with over 10,000 scrimmage yards and 135 touchdowns.
Frelick, the first player in school history to win the award, will be a finalist for the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced later this month.
He joins recent Massachusetts football standouts Bobby Maimaron (Duxbury), Danny Dalton (Marshfield) and Joe Gaziano (Xaverian) as a recipient of this prestigious award, which also recognizes Frelick’s academic and extracurricular achievements, such as volunteering locally with the Special Olympics and contributing to multiple community service initiatives through his church.
As Gatorade Player of the Year, Frelick will be able to donate $1,000 to a national or local youth sports organization and have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 grant by writing an essay on his chosen organization.