This Sunday, 95.9 WATD announced the semifinalists for the 2024 Bill Wilhelm Award, recognizing the most outstanding high school football player on the South Shore.
Announced during the Sports Exchange, airing every Sunday at 5 p.m., 10 student athletes from the area were included in the list of potential winners of the award’s second presentation.
These 10 semifinalists will be pared down to a list of three finalists to be announced on a coming edition of the Sports Exchange.
The Semifinalists
Listed in alphabetical order
Jack Balzarini, SR, Carver
Following up last year’s performance by Wilhelm Award finalist Tyler Lennox was going to be a tall ask for Balzarini, but the senior far exceeded expectations as he slid into the quarterback position for the Crusaders.
Balzarini led the area in total touchdowns, accounting for 40 altogether with 25 passing scores and 15 rushing touchdowns, with finishing with over 2,600 all-purpose yards.
The senior’s “Wilhelm Moment” came in Carver’s Elite 8 victory over Bourne, when Balzarini threw for 317 yards and seven touchdowns. The game earned him nominations for the Sports Illustrated National Player of the Week.
Carver found it’s way back to the Final Four a year after a Super Bowl appearance thanks in large part to Balzarini’s outstanding play.
Vincent Busa, SR, Xaverian Brothers
Back to back Division 1 titles is no small feat. Defeating one of the best defenses in the state to win the title isn’t either.
Accomplishing both while your star senior tailback is banged up makes it seem all the more impossible.
Despite dealing with an injury, Busa led the Hawks with a gutsy 24 carry, 147 yard, one touchdown performance to capture Super Bowl MVP honors.
Busa was a force on both sides of the ball for Xaverian. Offensively, he finished the season with an 8.7 yards per carry average, 20 TDs, and 1,413 yards. On the opposite side of the ball, the rangy linebacker tallied 102 tackles and 4 interceptions.
The yet uncommitted Busa holds five Division 1 offers following another tremendous season on Clapboardtree Street.
READ: Duxbury’s Matt Festa wins inaurugal Bill Wilhelm Award
Carter Carroll, SR, BC High
The Cohasset native was the driver behind a resurgent season for the Eagles under first year head coach Paul Zukauskas.
Carroll pushed BC High to a 7-1 regular season and the 2 seed in the Division 1 tournament, leading the Eagles to the state semifinals before falling to Xaverian.
The William and Mary bound quarterback finished the season with over 2,000 yards passing. Season highlights included a three touchdown game against Everett and a four touchdown performance against St. John’s.
Jonny Donovan, JR, Scituate
With so much returning talent all over the field, one of the few questions facing Scituate this season was how they would replace 2023 BWA semifinalist Jackson Belsan at quarterback.
Donovan answered the question by posting the most prolific season of any passer in Scituate history.
Much like Alex Barlow last year, Donovan put an exclamation point on his Wilhelm Award campaign at Gillette, tossing for four first half touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl title.
That number matched the record for most TDs thrown in a half of a state title game, while also lifting Donovan to the top spot on the single season touchdown list at Scituate.
The junior finished his season with 31 touchdown passes, over 2,000 yards passing, and an additional trio of scores on the ground.
Brandon Errico, JR, Hanover
A season after announcing himself as an underclassman with an opening night touchdown grab against Duxbury, Errico came into 2024 as one of Hanover’s most highly touted athletes.
The junior did it all over the field this year as the Hawks came up just shy of a return trip to Gillette.
Errico finished with 14 total touchdowns, scoring in every facet of the game. At receiver, 59 receptions yielded 684 yards and five touchdowns. Four more scores came on the ground, along with 181 yards on just 14 carries.
On the defensive side of the ball, Errico was a lockdown corner, finishing the year with 40 tackles, seven interceptions, and a pick six.
He was also one of the most dangerous returners in the area, taking three kickoffs and a punt back for touchdowns on special teams.
LISTEN: Super Bowl Champion Scituate Recounts Perfect Season
Lawson Foley, SR, Scituate
It’s hard to say for sure which side of the ball of the ball Foley was better on this year.
For a second straight season, the Sailors’ captain was one of the most prolific receivers in the area. He punctuated a 42 reception, 966 yard, 18 touchdown season with a pair of scores at Gillette.
It was the second straight season that Foley finished with over 900 yards receiving.
Defensively, Foley was one of Scituate’s leading tacklers on the back end, finishing the season with over 60 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, six interceptions and a pick six.
Mikey Galligan, SR, North Quincy
In a season spent rewriting the North Quincy passing records, Galligan finished as the area’s most prolific passer.
The senior tossed 30 touchdown passes and threw for 2,257 yards, averaging over 16 yards per completion.
A true dual threat, Galligan also spearheaded the Raider rushing attack, toting the rock for 606 yards on the ground and nine more TDs.
The ultimate play-extender, Galligan saved his “Wilhelm Moment” and best for last, firing a last second Hail Mary on Thanksgiving to send the Raiders game against crosstown Quincy to OT.
That throw earned Galligan the top spot in ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 countdown.
Tor Maas, SR, Marshfield
The future Tufts Jumbo is the only repeat semifinalist on the list, after being nominated for the Bill Wilhelm Award in 2023.
Maas backed up a sterling junior campaign with a similarly successful senior season.
The Rams signal caller finished with 1,778 yards and 19 touchdowns through the air, adding seven scores and 345 yards on the ground.
In a win against Hingham, Maas set a program record for touchdown passes in a game after firing five first half scores.
After a trip back to the Final Four, Marshfield closed their season by ending Duxbury’s 15 straight Patriot League titles streak on Thanksgiving, with Maas putting together another five touchdown performance in storm conditions.
READ: Hanover’s Ben Scalzi wins 2023 Bill Wilhelm Award
Jack Rees, SR, Duxbury
For the second straight season, a Duxbury running back checks in as a Bill Wilhelm Award semifinalist.
Replacing the now-Bentley Falcon Alex Barlow was going to be a tall order for the Dragons on both sides of the ball, but Rees provided near identical production.
The senior captain finished with over 1,400 yards rushing and 22 scores on the ground, while catching another touchdown pass and throwing for a score at Gillette.
On defense, Rees led Duxbury with over 70 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception.
Mekhi White, JR, Randolph
A dangerously speedy back, White excelled when thrust into the RB1 role following Nate Gomes-Correia’s midseason injury.
White capped an incredible season with a two touchdown performance in the Division 8 Super Bowl. He finished the year with 35 total touchdowns, with 24 on the ground, three receiving, two pick-sixes, and four kick return scores.
The junior led the Blue Devils with over 1,400 yards rushing.
Season highlights included a five-touchdown first half against Hull, and over 140 yards rushing and two scores at Gillette.
Honorable Mentions
An additional 10 players from the South Shore received votes on Bill Wilhelm Award ballots. Those players, who finished just outside our semifinalist pool, are listed below alphabetically
Will Bostrom, SR, Norwell
Dominic Funke, JR, Xaverian Brothers
Ty Holmes, JR, West Bridgewater
Jack Luccarelli, SO, Norwell
Brady Markowski, SR, Whitman-Hanson
Alex Molander, SR, Marshfield
Eddie Reilly, SR, Abington
Naheem Ridore, SR, Weymouth
Marques Rodrigues-Smith, SR, North Quincy
Jake Varholak, JR, Hingham
Bill Wilhelm receiving the President’s Award at the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches’ Association meeting in 2011
Bill Wilhelm
Bill was our station’s first Sports Director, overseeing and participating in four decades of high school football, basketball, and hockey broadcasts, as well as hosting the weekly Sports Exchange talk show.
Tirelessly working to make sure that every accomplishment of local student athletes was given appropriate recognition, Bill Wilhelm was, for so many on the South Shore, the first name that came to mind when they thought of high school sports.
Last year, Bill was inducted into the Duxbury High School Athletics Hall of Fame; recognition of his over 30 years as head coach of the junior varsity boys soccer team, as well as his innumerable contributions off the field.
Nowhere are those contributions felt more than here at 95.9 WATD. Here, entering our 46th year, we are still able to provide coverage of South Shore high school athletics thanks to the groundwork Bill laid over so many years.
Matt Festa, winner of the Bill Wilhelm Award, poses with WATD’s Brendan Connelly, Johnny Rorke, Bill Wilhelm, and Quinn Kelly.
Past Winners
The Bill Wilhelm Award was founded in 2022, with Matt Festa of Duxbury High School being named the award’s inaugural winner.
Festa led the Dragons to a 12-0 record and Division 4 state title to close his incredible career, compiling 50 total touchdowns, 2,931 yards passing, and 469 yards rushing on the season.
In the process, he set the Duxbury High School record for single season passing yards.
Festa, now playing football at the University of New Hampshire, was joined by fellow finalists Owen McHugh (Milton, Williams College) and Casious Johnson (Plymouth South).
Ben Scalzi (center with trophy) is the 2023 Bill Wilhelm Award winner, pictured with Quinn Kelly (left), Brendan Connolly (center right) and Johnny Rorke (right).
Last year, Hanover High School’s Ben Scalzi took home the Bill Wilhelm Award.
Scalzi, a senior captain, led the Hawks to an 11-2 season and an appearance in the Division 5 Super Bowl. He finished the season with 41 total touchdowns and 2,621 yards passing. His 39 passing touchdowns were good enough to claim the top mark in the state last season.
Fellow finalists included Tyler Lennox (Carver, UMass Dartmouth) and Alex Barlow (Duxbury, Bentley).
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