WATD is pleased to recognize Matt Festa (QB, Duxbury), Casious Johnson (RB, Plymouth South), and Owen McHugh (QB, Milton) as the three finalists for the inaugural Bill Wilhelm Award.
The trio were the top vote-getters amongst a group of 10 semifinalists announced by WATD last week.
As a group, the three combined for 8,182 yards of total offense and 107 total touchdowns. Each player was a part of a league title winning team, with their three squads finishing the year with a combined 33-2 record.
The winner of the inaugural Bill Wilhelm Award will be announced during the Sports Exchange on December 11, airing from 5 to 7 PM live from Mamma Mia’s in Marshfield.
Matt Festa, senior quarterback of Duxbury, has been named a Bill Wilhelm Award Finalist.
Matt Festa, QB, Duxbury
The Dragons senior signal caller was transcendent this season, amassing 50 total touchdowns.
The bulk of those scores came through the air, part of a 35 to 4 touchdown to interception ratio.
With 2,931 passing yards, and a 67.2% completion percentage, Festa finished with a gaudy 141.4 passer rating for the entire season.
A force on the ground as well, the yet uncommitted senior rushed for 464 yards and 14 scores. Festa also caught a lone pass on the season, appropriately for a touchdown.
Duxbury finished the year a perfect 12-0 as the Division 4 state champions, after a 42-7 drubbing of Grafton at Gillette this past weekend. Festa also led the team to a 14th straight Patriot League Keenan Division title.
Casious Johnson, junior running back of Plymouth South, has been named a Bill Wilhelm Award Finalist.
Casious Johnson, RB, Plymouth South
The lone junior of the finalist trio was sensational yet again this season for the Panthers.
It was going to be hard to live up to the hype that Johnson carried with him into the season, especially given his position. But, in the end, he may have exceeded it, rushing for 1,703 yards and scoring 19 total touchdowns.
The mononymous running back saw stacked boxes all season long, yet still managed to grind out a per-carry average just shy of nine yards.
Now through 22 career games, Johnson has rushed for 3,855 yards and scored 47 touchdowns.
Though his Panthers fell short of a return to the Super Bowl, a 10-1 record and dynamic returners, including Casious, have South excited for next fall.
Owen McHugh, senior quarterback of Milton, has been named a Bill Wilhelm Award Finalist.
Owen McHugh, QB, Milton
Coming in with shoes to fill the size of Chase Vaughn’s was a tall task, but McHugh was more than game for it.
In his lone season at the helm for the Wildcats, McHugh dazzled with 173 completions for 2,410 yards and 31 touchdowns against just five interceptions.
The future Williams College Eph’s impact was felt on the ground as well, where he tacked on seven scores and 556 yards.
He also accomplished what nobody in the elite group of his quarterback predecessors at Milton had been able to–lead the Wildcats to the school’s first Super Bowl appearance.
Though Milton ultimately fell short in a 34-28 loss to Wakefield, it was not a result of the play of McHugh, nor much of a stain on an incredible 11-1 season.
