Council Rock North’s Brandon McIlwain earns Maxwell Football Club’s Jim Henry Award

ATLANTIC CITY – Brandon McIlwain, the former Council Rock North quarterback and defensive back from Newtown, has been selected as the winner of the Maxwell Football Club’s 31st Jim Henry Award.

McIlwain has accumulated a long list of honors during his career highlighted by the a 1st Team All-State selection and the Maxwell Football Club’s Pennsylvania Player of the Year in 2015. He was also recognized as the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-1, 195 pound senior did it all for Council Rock North. McIlwain threw for 1,720 yards and 18 touchdowns despite suffering a separated shoulder in Week 4 and fracturing the thumb on his throwing hand in Week 6. He also rushed for 1,545 yards and 31 touchdowns in his last season for the Rock.

In his career, he threw for 6,545 yards and 54 touchdowns and rushed for 3,882 yards and 70 touchdowns. In four years at the quarterback position, he accounted for 10,427 yards and 124 touchdowns. He also played free safety on defense.

McIlwain competed in the Elite 11, a camp for the top quarterbacks in the county and Area Code Games for the top baseball players nationally. He will play both baseball and football at the University of South Carolina.  Brandon has actually started his first year for the Gamecocks and has made appearances in a half-dozen baseball games at USC.

“We had some fantastic candidates in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania for this award” said MFC Executive Director Mark Wolpert. “All three of our finalists Brandon McIlwain (Council Rock North HS – Pennsylvania), Sebastian Sanchez (Bernards HS – New Jersey) and Colby Reeder (Salesianum HS – Delaware) were dynamic players with high academics and well-rounded community service. All three of these young men are great ambassadors for their schools, football programs and families and we are proud to welcome them to the Maxwell Club family.

Mark Dianno, the winner of the 1st Jim Henry Award and current Maxwell Football Club officer commented, “Being associated with the Maxwell Football Club for the past 31 years, I enjoyed the opportunity to meet Jim Henry and understand the kind of gentleman that he was and why the award is so representative of his many and significant contributions to athletics, scholarship and community service. Over these years, I have also had the good fortune of meeting many student-athletes.

“This year’s Jim Henry Award winner, Brandon McIlwain, is an outstanding and deserving recipient of this prestigious award. His on field prowess is rivaled only by his academic accomplishments and the dedication to his community. It is an honor and a privilege to welcome him to the Maxwell Football Club family of Jim Henry Award winners.”

Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski made the presentment at the 79th Maxwell Club National Awards Gala which was held Friday, March 11 at the Tropicana Casino Resort in Atlantic City.

Also receiving awards at the event will be; Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers (Bert Bell Award), Ron Rivera – Carolina Panthers (Earl “Greasy” Neale Award), Derrick Henry – Alabama (Maxwell Award), Tyler Matakevich – Temple (Chuck Bednarik Award), Dabo Swinney – Clemson (The George Munger College Coach of the Year Award), Matt Rhule – Temple (The Philadelphia Insurance Companies Tri-State Coach of the Year Award), Joe Callahan – Wesley College (The Brian Westbrook Tri-State Player of the Year Award presented by Philadelphia Insurance Companies) and United States Service Academy Football Captains (The Thomas Brookshier Spirit Award).

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