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The 2020 First Annual Willie Thrower Award Ceremony

The 2020 Willie Thrower Award Ceremony was held on April 10, 2021 at the Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.

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Ceremony Photo Gallery

Using the WTAF Award selection process, ballots were submitted by coaches and media members who selected the following six finalists for the 2020 Second Annual Willie Thrower Award:

2020 WTAF Finalists

Brad Birch

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FRESHMAN - QUARTERBACK

JEANNETTE HIGH SCHOOL

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Accomplishments:

• 1st Freshman ever to start at QB for Jeannette
• Freshman season threw for 1,643 yards and 30 TO’s
• Made National High School Record Books by throwing 5 TO Passes in 1 quarter in a game.
• This ties for 3rd Nationally. In the same game he threw for 7 TO’s in one half, tying for 5th Nationally.
• Led team to a WPIAL 1 A Championship beating Clairton in the finals
• He broke a bone in his ankle during the WPIAL Championship game and missed the State Playoffs where Jeannette finished the State 1A Runner-Up
• Named to Max Prep’s Freshman All-American Team, 1st Team All-Section & voted KDKA 1A Player-of-the-Year.
• Named 1A All-State
• Recently received his first Division One Offer from the University of Oregon
• Garnering interest from the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University
• Started playing football at age 5. Started playing QB at age 7 for the Jeannette Midgets
• Won 4 Midget Championships in 6 years. When 11 he guided the team to an undefeated League Championship. The team was then invited to a National Tournament at the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio where the only game lost was to the eventual National Champions from Georgia. Jeannette placed 3rd in the National Tournament.

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Ethan Dahlem

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SENIOR - QUARTERBACK

UPPER SAINT CLAIR HIGH SCHOOL

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Accomplishments: 

• 1st Team PIAA All-State QB
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab 22 All-Star PRE & POST SEASON
• Big 56 Conference 1st Team QB
• Trib 25 All-Star
• 5, 226 career total yards- (3,786) passing yards and (1,440) rushing yards
• 55 Total career TO’s (31) passing TO’s and (24) rushing TO’s
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player-of-the-Week honoree
• Trib-Live Player-of-the-Week 9/13/2019 & 10/16/2020
• AHN Friday Night Rivals Player-of-the-Game 9/6/19
• Upper St. Clair’s Sean Patrick Lee MVP Award 2019
• Captain of Football and Basketball Teams

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Ameer Dudley

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SENIOR - QUARTERBACK

CENTRAL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

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Accomplishments: 

• 16 Division One Offers FBS & FCS to play QB
• Harvard University Commit
• Rated no. 2 QB in PA & no. 1 Dual Threat QB C/O 21 (QB Hit list)
• Finalist for Mr. PA Football (1A-3A)
• 2020 PA 3A State Champion & Player-of-the-Game
• 2x PIAA Finalist
• 2020 3A PA Football News Player-of-the Year (Coaches)
• 2020 3A PA Football News Player-of-the-Year (Writers)
• 2x 3A All-State QB
• Back-to-Back WPIAL Champion (2019 & 2020)
• Central Valley’s All-Time leading Passer
• 2x Cover Three Athletics 3A Player-of-the-Year
• Was the 151 Junior in Beaver County History to win Player-of-the-Year (2019)
• 2x Tribune Review Top 25
• 2x Beaver County Times Top 22
• 2020 WPIAL Blitz Player-of-the-Year
• 25-2 record over 2 yr. span, only losses to two State Champions (Thomas Jefferson 19 and to state championship Wyoming 19)
• Since sophomore year led team to 23 mercy rule games. In the 2020 season they fell one game short of being the 2nd team in WPIAL history to mercy rule every team on their schedule through state championship.
• 1st undefeated State Champion in Beaver County in 21 years
• Ameer has missed 30+ quarters of play due to the dominance

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Jake Pugh

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SENIOR- QUARTERBACK
THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL

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Accomplishments:

• Back-to-Back State Champion
• 3-year letterman and 3~time WPIAL Champion
• All-State & All-Conference player
• East/West All-Star selection
• KDKA Super 7- 4A Player-of-the-Year
• 1,881 passing yards & 34 TO’s
• 4-year starter & letterman in basketball
• Led team in Assists all 4 years
• 2-time All-Section award winner
• 2014 Knights of Columbus: State Free-Throw Champion

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Cole Spencer

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SENIOR - QUARTERBACK

PINE-RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL

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Accomplishments: 

• PIAA State Champion ~ Football
• 2x PIAA State Placer~ Wrestling (4th and 8th)
• 4x WPIAL Champion (2x football/ 2x wrestling)
• 2x WPIAL Runner-up (1x football/1x wrestling)
• 2x Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab 22 selection
• 2x Pittsburgh Tribune Review Super 25 Team honoree
• PA Mr. Football Top 5
• PA Coaches SA All-State Player-of-the-Year
• 2x First Team All-State Football
• Pittsburgh Tribune Review Sports Athlete-of-the-Year
• Pittsburgh Tribune Review WPIAL Player-of-the-Year
• Pittsburgh Tribune Review WPIAL SA Player-of-the-Year
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette WPIAL SA Player-of-the-Year
• Selected to the 2021 Big 33 Game
• 2020 Pine-Richland Rams football team finished ranked in top 25 in the country
• Finished his football career as the gth All-Time WPIAL passing leader
• Holds the mark for most career wins by a Pine-Richland QB
• Pine-Richland career leader in touchdown passes

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Selected college: University of Pennsylvania

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Congratulations to Cole Spencer - our 2020 Willie Thrower Award Winner!

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