Printer-friendly version Reader Comments

Justin Villacci of Gorham is joined by Jack Hersom of Lawrence and Kyle Stilphen of Gardiner.

By RACHEL LENZI, Staff Writer December 22, 2007

Nearly a year ago, Justin Villacci attended the James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy banquet as a guest of Gorham High football coach Dave Kilborn.

Jon Mitchell, Villacci's teammate, was a semifinalist for the award given annually to the state's top senior high school football player. Villacci didn't realize all that the banquet -- and the honor -- embodied.

"I thought it would be like a regular banquet ... but there's a lot more about it," Villacci said Friday. "The Fitzpatrick Award is more than just an award."

After that night, Villacci set a goal -- to be among the contenders for the prestigious trophy. Now, Villacci, Jack Hersom of Lawrence and Kyle Stilphen of Gardiner are this season's three finalists.

Villacci, Stilphen and Hersom were chosen from a pool of 12 semifinalists, originally selected by a panel made up of members from the Maine chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Jack Dawson, the Fitzpatrick Trophy chairman, said 75 ballots were sent to the state's football coaches and media, and estimated that 60 were returned to the accounting firm of Baker, Newman and Noyes, which tabulates the votes.

The Fitzpatrick Trophy banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Holiday Inn By The Bay in Portland. The winner of this year's Fitzpatrick Trophy will be presented the award by Mike Rutherford, the Westbrook baseball coach who won the award for the 1982 season as a senior at Portland High.

Villacci, a running back, ran for 1,293 yards and 19 touchdowns, caught 12 passes for 484 yards and six touchdowns, and finished as Gorham's all-time leading scorer and rusher (5,036 yards, 81 touchdowns).

"Over the years he's matured a lot in how he approaches the game," Kilborn said. "He knows there's a lot that goes into the game and that there's him, but there are also 10 guys on the team."

Villacci also was named the state's Gatorade Player of the Year.

"The Gatorade award represents the state's best player, but the Fitzpatrick Award, it's not just about playing," Villacci said. "It's the best overall person, player and student-athlete. That means a lot."

Stilphen, a quarterback/defensive back, threw for 626 yards and 11 touchdown passes. On defense, Stilphen recorded 130 tackles, and as a kicker he made 54 extra points and one field goal.

"It's something that's well deserved," Gardiner Coach Matt Brown said. "He's the kind of kid where, his personal stats are concerned, he stepped back and became a team player. He has an uncanny understanding of the game."

Stilphen could not be reached for comment Friday.

Hersom, a quarterback, helped the Bulldogs win 22 straight games over two seasons, including this year's Eastern Class A title and the 2006 Class A championship. This season, Hersom passed for 1,427 yards and 17 touchdowns, and gained 545 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

"I wanted to improve from the previous year, which was kind of hard after winning a state title," Hersom said. "But I wanted to help the team in any way I could."

Hersom is the second player from Lawrence in two years to be named a finalist, joining Aaron Champagne.

"It's a big honor for the program," said Lawrence Coach John Hersom, Jack's father. "It's great to have a finalist two years in a row. For Jack, it's a huge honor. Not that he planned for this, but he went into the season looking to expect more of himself."

Staff Writer Rachel Lenzi can be reached at 791-6415 or at:
rlenzi@pressherald.com

Reader comments
Click here to view or add comments on this story

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form