CLYDE
There was a hearty debate when it came down to who would be the very first Fandy.com Magazine Football Player of the Year.
In the end, though, a multi-talented, well-rounded player from Clyde got the nod.
That player would be three-year starting quarterback Alex Gillett, who not only put up glittering statistics but also helped the Fliers become a winning program.
"You never expect that honor, especially in football in our conference and district," said Gillett, who is also the Sandusky Bay Conference's player of the year. "To be player of the year in anything is a tremendous honor."
It also didn't hurt that he could pull off highlight-reel-esque plays.
Like, for instance, a play from Clyde's 18-17 Division III regional quarterfinal loss to Sunbury Big Walnut a few weeks ago, where Gillett took off on a designed quarterback draw and zig-zagged all over the field for a jaw-dropping 78-yard touchdown.
Words cannot properly describe the play. But, you can see it if you log on to YouTube.com.
"Joe Montana and Dwight Clark had 'The Catch,' John Elway had 'The Drive,' and Earnest Byner had 'The Fumble,'" Clyde coach Marc Gibson said. "I guess you can say Alex had 'The Run '. And anyone who's seen it live or on YouTube has to be amazed.
"People I talk to recently who went to game will rewatch it on YouTube 3-4 times and won't believe their eyes. What's the most interesting about that play is not just to watch him run, but to see all of our linemen down the field to give him a block. It's almost humorous to watch the Big Walnut defenders run and not know where he went."
Gibson wasn't finished.
"The greatest part, at very end where he's turned around from own goal line and makes more people miss, is just crazy," he said. "That's a total testament to his conditioning."
Indeed, Gillett later added an 89-yard touchdown run, played the entire game on defense, and also returned punts and kicks, even returning one for 56 yards.
"When you see something like that, and add in the fact didn't come away with win, you walk away from that appreciating him more and more. He did everything in his power to win that game for us," Gibson said.
You ask Gillett about it, though, and he'll give more credit to his linemen -- left tackle Jared Bransky, left guard Alex Allenberger, center Jordan Brown, right guard David Weisz, right tackle Gage Goble and tight end Kyle Smetzler -- than he will his own God-given ability.
"I was just trying not to get tackled," he said. "You run scared out there, you don't want to get tackled, so that's what I was trying to do. I couldn't have done it without any of them. It wasn't just me by any means. I had a lot of help in that regard.
"Playing with these guys is something I'm very proud of. You have to give all the credit to those guys. I couldn't have done anything really. I played with those guys most of my life. They've always been there, and I couldn't have asked for a better line. They all did a great job."
Gillett wasn't just a scrambling quarterback. He also possesses a great arm, and a great mind.
Consider one of the schools that are looking at him next season is Harvard and you can see just how well-rounded Gillett really is.
"When I look at my last 12 years as head coach, I compile everything that one player has done over two, three varsity seasons, and Alex was head and shoulders above every student-athlete I've ever had," Gibson said. "I've had players who have gone to college ball or broken records, but Alex is the epitome of a student-athlete.
"He has a 3.9 GPA, he's well respected in the hallways by students and teachers ... I'd have a hard time thinking that this school of 800 kids would have a bad word to say about him. He has no ego. You wouldn't tell he'd been brought all the accolades that he has."
Gillett's name is all over the Clyde record book. He holds the single-season records for passing yards (2,733), rushing yards (1,689) and touchdowns scored (29). Gillett also holds the career record for passing yards (5,500), touchdowns (104 total) and rushing yards (2,100), and holds the single-game record for touchdowns and passing yards.
He even came within an eyelash of breaking the single- game rushing record, missing it by 35 yards.
"If he was a little more selfish, he'd probably have a lot more records," Gibson said. "But, there were a lot of times where he'd change a play to give it to one of the other kids so they could score or gain yardage when the play was called for him. He loved to share the glory."
Also showing his unselfishness, Gillett volunteered to play defense after never playing on that side of the ball during his middle school and high school career. Starting at safety and moving to cornerback, Gillett finished with four interceptions and one fumble recovery, matching up with the opposing team's top receiver.
"He held his own against Huron's Matt Lehrer and Perkins' Tyler Dix," Gibson said. "Both of those receivers are probably the top two in our conference, and their games against us -- with Alex matched up with them -- were probably their toughest games both overall and statistically."
More important than any of those statistics, in Gillett's eyes, was the fact that, in his three years as the starting quarterback, Clyde went 27-7, won two Sandusky Bay Conference titles and had back-to-back playoff berths.
His junior season, the Fliers reached the regional finals before losing to eventual champion Big Walnut. This season, it was Big Walnut that ended Clyde's season again, this time in the first round.
"I thought we had success both of the years, but it didn't matter as long as we were winning," Gillett said. "We had a great run in high school. The past couple of years, I thought we could have made it farther than we did, but we still had a great run."
Gillett also plays basketball and baseball. This season, though, he might hang up his glove and bat to run track, which should help him condition for college football next season.
According to Gibson and Gillett, he has a scholarship offer from Toledo. He is slated to visit Harvard during the big Harvard-Yale game in two weeks, and Florida Atlantic has also shown some interest.
"And, just in case he decides not to do D-I, there are lots of smaller schools around here that have been in contact," Gibson said. "I think whatever decision he'll make will be the right one, and I believe whoever gets him will be getting a once-in-a-lifetime, special athlete who will become the poster boy for what's right with college athletics."
St. Paul quarterback Eric Schweiterman, Sandusky running back Eric Jordan and Bellevue quarterback Curtis Watson earned special mention for this award.
