BOYS - Jackson Price, Junior, A.C. Flora HS

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A.C. FLORA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE NAMED GATORADE SOUTH CAROLINA BOYS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (June 11, 2021) — In its 36th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Jackson Price of A.C. Flora High School as its 2020-21 Gatorade South Carolina Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Price is the first Gatorade South Carolina Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from A.C. Flora 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 Price as South Carolina’s best high school boys soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Price joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook High School, Mich.), Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy School of Young Women, N.Y.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02 & 2002-03, East Brunswick High School, N.J.), Matt Besler (2004-05, Blue Valley West High School, Kans.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire High School, Mass.) and Mallory Pugh (2014-15, Mountain Vista High School, Colo.).

The 5-foot-11, 155-pound junior midfielder scored 23 goals and passed for seven assists this past season, leading the Falcons (14-3-1) to the Class 4A quarterfinals. Price is a two-time All-State honoree and was named the Region Player of the Year. He has recorded 50 goals and 25 assists in his prep career.

The president of his class, Price has volunteered locally on behalf of the March of Dimes, Families Helping Families, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the Harvest Hope Food Bank. “Jackson Price is a great player,” said Kevin Heise, head coach at Gray Collegiate Academy. “He’s very dynamic and plays the game with a lot of flair. He has great pace, he’s extremely fast and he has a real knack for getting behind the defense.”

Price has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. He will begin his senior year of high school this fall.

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 & 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.

Price joins recent Gatorade South Carolina Boys Soccer Players of the Year Ben Erkens (2019-20 & 2018-19, Wade Hampton High School), Charlie Marino (2017-18, Wando High School), and Wyatt Millard (2016-17, Cardinal Newman High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.

Through Gatorade’s cause marketing platform “Play it Forward,” Price has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of their choosing. Price is also eligible to submit a 30-second video explaining why the organization they chose is deserving of one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants, which will be announced throughout the year. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $2.7 million across 1,117 organizations.

Since the program’s inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

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GIRLS - Alarie Hodge, Senior, James Island Charter HS

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JAMES ISLAND CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE NAMED GATORADE SOUTH CAROLINA GIRLS SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO (June 15, 2021) — In its 36th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Alarie Hodge of James Island Charter High School as its 2020-21 Gatorade South Carolina Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Hodge is the first Gatorade South Carolina Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from James
Island Charter 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 Hodge as South Carolina’s best high school girls soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Hodge joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook High School, Mich.), Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.), Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy School of Young Women, N.Y.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02 & 2002-03, East Brunswick High School, N.J.), Matt Besler (2004-05, Blue Valley West High School, Kans.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire High School, Mass.) and Mallory Pugh (2014-15, Mountain Vista High School, Colo.).

The 5-foot-7 senior forward scored 26 goals and passed for 10 assists this past season, leading the Trojans (22-1) to the Class 4A state championship and a No. 10 finish in the United Soccer Coaches national rankings. Hodge is an All-State and All-Region honoree and concluded her prep career with 73 goals and 42 assists.

A devoted member of her church community, Hodge has volunteered locally on behalf of youth sports programs. “Alarie Hodge is quite a challenge to defend,” said Katherine Seelbach, head coach at Hilton Head Island High. “Her movement is quick and decisive and once she’s within striking distance, she turns and shoots with confidence. We absolutely never wanted the ball at her feet.”

Hodge has maintained a 3.63 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at the College of Charleston.

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 & 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.

Hodge joins recent Gatorade South Carolina Girls Soccer Players of the Year Miya Poplin (2019-20, Hilton Head Island High School), Caroline Conti (2018-19 & 2016-17, J.L. Mann Academy), and Riane Coman (2017-18, Academic Magnet High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.

Through Gatorade’s cause marketing platform “Play it Forward,” Hodge has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of their choosing. Hodge is also eligible to submit a 30-second video explaining why the organization they chose is deserving of one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants, which will be
announced throughout the year. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $2.7 million across 1,117 organizations.

Since the program’s inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.

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Last edited by Kyle Heise; 06/29/21 04:51 PM.