Leavitt’s Noah Carpenter is tackled from behind by Thornton’s Brady Kezal during a regular-season game on Oct. 14. Carpenter was announced Wednesday as the Gatorade Maine Football Player of the Year, the second season in a row he has received the honor. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald
Noah Carpenter has received yet another award for his outstanding football season.
The Leavitt senior quarterback, safety, kicker and punter was announced Wednesday as the 2023 Gatorade Maine Football Player of the Year. It is the second year in a row Carpenter has garnered the award, which recognizes the top athletes in each state based on, according to a news release, “excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community.”
Truly an honor and blessing to be named 2X @Gatorade player of the year.??
Would love to thank all my teammates, family, and coaches, who have made this possible for me! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fnfA6yDBHY
— Noah Carpenter (@N_Carpenter6) January 3, 2024
Carpenter led the Hornets to a historic season, which included beating some of the state’s top teams in larger classifications and culminated in Leavitt’s second straight undefeated season and second straight Class C championship.
Carpenter, who will play football and baseball at the University of Maine, threw for 1,801 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing 63.4 percent of his passes. He also ran for 1,352 yards and 23 scores and averaged 11.2 yards per carry. Defensively, he tallied five interceptions and 110 tackles.
“Noah was the best football player that we played against,” York coach Matt Nelson said in the news release. “His speed, strength and decision-making ability was like second to none. He has the ability to beat you with both his legs and his arm.”
The news release said that Carpenter has maintained a 3.7 GPA and that he “volunteers his time locally as a youth camp instructor, has served on the Leavitt Student Council and is a member of the National Honor Society.”
Every player of the year receives a grant from Gatorade to donate to a social impact partner. Last year Carpenter made a donation to the Greene Youth Athletics Association.
Leavitt quarterbacks have won three of the past four Gatorade Football Player of the Year awards. Along with Carpenter’s 2023 and 2022 honors, Wyatt Hathaway received the award in 2020. Oxford Hills’ Eli Soehren earned the honor in 2021.
Carpenter also is a two-time Sun Journal All-Region Football Player of the Year and a two-time Varsity Maine Player of the Year.
After this past season, he was named MaxPreps Maine Player of the Year and Campbell Conference Class C Player of the Year. He also was chosen for the Campbell Conference’s first-team offense, defense and special teams.
Carpenter is in the running for at least one more football award, having been named as one of four finalists for the Fitzpatrick Trophy, which is given to the top senior football player in the state.
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