AUGUSTA — Alec Clark left an indelible mark on the Winslow football program, having started four years on the defense and three on the offensive line.
The senior played a big role in the Black Raiders’ march to consecutive Class C state titles and a 22-game winning streak.
“Pretty awesome,” he said.
Now, he hopes to cap his stalwart career on the gridiron with the Frank J. Gaziano award, which is given annually to the top linemen in the state.
Clark was named an offensive lineman finalist Monday.
“It feels great,” he said. “A lot of hard work has come down to the this. It feels good to have a shot. This is for players in Classes A, B, C and D so you don’t always see a lot of C kids in there. It feels pretty good.”
The defensive lineman finalists are Elijah Ayotte of Thornton Academy, Frank Curran of Cheverus and Tyrell Gullatt of Windham.
The offensive lineman finalists are Clark, Charles Kovarik of Portland and Isaac Patry of Thornton Academy.
The winners will be announced at a Jan. 30 ceremony at the Augusta Civic Center. Each winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship while the other finalists will receive $1,000 scholarships.
The awards were created in 2010 in memory of Frank J. Gaziano, an All-American at Holy Cross and a professional football player.
“It would mean a lot to win it,” Clark said. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work to get to where I am at right now. It would be an amazing feeling, but this is still an individual award. To me, the best award I’ve ever received is with the team when we hoisted up the Gold Ball in November. To do it two years in a row with the kids you grew up with, it’s pretty awesome.”
Added Winslow coach Mike Siviski: “I can’t think of a more deserving and hard-working kid than him. When you talk about character and toughness and leadership, he has it all. He has a made himself into a real great football player. What gets me is his amazing work ethic and his motor is amazing. He makes all the people around him better.”
Clark is a cheerleader in the winter and the Gaziano ceremony will make for a hectic day Jan. 30.
Clark and the Winslow cheerleading team are scheduled to participate in a fundraising event at Lawrence High School that day as well.
“I’m going to pull some double duty,” Clark said. “I’ll go to the banquet in Augusta and then from there get to Lawrence. It will be hectic but it will be fun.”
Bill Stewart — 621-5618
bstewart@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @billstewartMTM
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