Northwood’s extensive athletics program, which sent several teams to playoffs this year, recognized teams and athletes at the fourth annual Charlie Awards, named after our mascot, Charlie the Charger. There are eight different categories, a few being the male team of the year, the female team of the year, the female athlete of the year and the male athlete of the year. Athletics Director, Cameron Vernon, puts together this banquet each year to recognize the hard work and determination of the student-athletes, this being the fourth annual banquet. This year he chose Brendan Harrington, former Northwood student and football captain, to be the guest speaker. Harrington graduated in 2019 and now plays football at Appalachian State University. He spoke about perseverance and always being in the moment.
“Always be where your feet are,” Harrington said. “When I say this, I mean to be present in the place you currently are. If you are at school, be at school. If you are at a family dinner, be at that dinner. Wherever you are, be there. There is no other moment more important than the one you’re in. You never know when it will be your last moment.”
Soon after Harrington left the stage, the award ceremony began. Each coach gave out a Charlie Award for their sport to one player of their choice. The category can be whatever they feel is best, or whomever deserves it the most.
With some categories voted on by the students, any athlete could win the next awards which followed shortly. There were more than 180 votes for each of these categories. Vernon allowed two students to present each award to make things fun and interactive. The first award given out was the Play of the Year, awarded to Drake Powell for his block, steal and finish in basketball, all within ten seconds.
The next category was Best Team Upset. This was the category with the closest number of votes. With only a few more votes than the other nominees, including the Women’s Basketball team beating Seaforth in the Conference Tournament Championship and the Volleyball team beating the number three seed in the first round of the playoffs, the boy’s soccer team who beat the number one seed, Granville Central, in the first round of the playoffs won the award.
The Female Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award went to Natalie Boecke who plays women’s lacrosse. The Male Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award went to Finn Sullivan who plays for the men’s football and baseball team. This award was given to these individuals for outstanding performances throughout the season and their significant improvements. Boecke also got her 100th goal as a freshman this past season.
The next category was the Women’s Team of the Year and the Men’s Team of the Year. These awards went to the Women’s Lacrosse team and the Men’s Basketball team. These teams made it far into the playoffs and had excellent records including a record of 24-7 for men’s basketball.
Female Athlete of the Year went to Skylar Adams for her excellent performance on the Women’s Basketball team and the Women’s Lacrosse team. For her first year playing lacrosse, she went out every day with a positive attitude and a willingness to accept constructive criticism.
She was a big part of the team’s success and helped take the team to the playoffs.
Male Athlete of the Year was presented to Drake Powell for his outstanding performance on the Men’s Basketball team. Powell led the team in points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals.
Vernon concluded the banquet with closing remarks about hard work and grit. He thanked everyone for their dedication to the athletic program and for showing up every day ready to work. Something he wants everyone to always remember “is once a Charger always a Charger.”
“You will always have a home here at Northwood, and you are always welcome to reach out to your coaches and me with any problems, or to just say hi,” Vernon said.
