Freed Award winner Pearson headlines PAC Football awards banquet

UPPER PROVIDENCE >> He won’t leave the PAC as a leader in any statistical category.

Yet Pottstown’s Marvin Pearson will leave an indelible mark on the conference for his courage and his ability to overcome the odds to put on the pads for the blue and white this season.

Fittingly, Pearson was named the recipient of the prestigious David L. Freed award at the annual Pioneer Athletic Conference football banquet Sunday at RiverCrest Golf Club that put a bow on the 2016 season.

“I knew I was getting an award but I didn’t know exactly what it would be for,” Pearson said after the banquet, clutching his honorary plaque. “It was definitely a surprise going up there and being honored for such a special award named for someone who did such special things.”

The award is named after the former Spring-Ford lineman who died during a tragic practice accident in 1975 after colliding with a spring-loaded blocking machine that has since been taken off the market. It’s an award designed to be given to a senior who embodies dedication, self improvement and unquestioning faith of the awards namesake.

Pearson fit all of those attributes and then some.

The running back blind since the age of 12, transferred from the Overbrook School for the Blind for his senior season. He made the national media circuit after he scored on a 68-yard touchdown run against Pottsgrove on October 1, ultimately ending up on “The Ellen Show” where he was given a $10,000 scholarship and a chance to fly to New Orleans to meet childhood idol in quarterback Drew Brees.

“Being picked out of the hundreds of student-athletes, I was blessed to get this award,” Pearson said. “It’s the cherry on top of the great success I was able to have this year in coming back to Pottstown and living for the moment.”

There were other special award recipients at the event which included conference Most Valuable Player’s in Perkiomen Valley’s Stephen Sturm and Pottsgrove’s Rahsul Faison.

“I’m honored to receive this award but this is something telling of our entire team,” Sturm said. “I couldn’t have done what I did this season without them so I want to give credit to them, my parents, my coaches, the Viking community and most importantly, the kids on our team. Without them, none of this wold be possible. I’m thankful for them.”

I’m thankful for my family and my teammates,” Faison added. “Without them none of this would be possible.”

Pottsgrove’s Parris Janusek and Perkiomen Valley’s Chris Jimenez won the Bill Rogers Lineman of the Year awards while Upper Perkiomen’s Tyler Whary and Perkiomen Valley’s Justin Jaworski took home honors as the best Two-Way players. Offensive Player of the Year awards went to Phoenixville’s Matt Garcia and Spring-Ford’s Stone Scarcelle; Defensive Player of the Year honors were received by Pottstown’s Isaiah Mayes and Perkiomen Valley’s Mario Scotese. Owen J. Roberts’ Nick Duliakas was the winner of the Joseph Edwards Scholarship.