Santos named Item Player of the Year

MARBLEHEAD ? Capping a season in which several area high school football teams put together remarkable campaigns, the 25 top players on the North Shore were honored at the 69thItem All-Star Dinner at Tedesco Country Club Wednesday night.
It was a night that celebrated the 49-year coaching career of the legendary Frank DeFelice of Swampscott, as well as the 2014 honorees and their coaches.
The highlight of the night was the presentation of the Edward H. Cahill Item Player of the Year Award to Peabody junior running back Doug Santos. The award was named this year for the longest-serving Item sports editor ever – 28 years – and presented by his son, Edward L. Cahill.
Lynn Classical?s outstanding linebacker Devin Crayton was named the Item/Agganis Foundation Defensive Player of the Year, while two Bishop Fenwick players also captured major awards. Rufus Rushins of Lynn was named the Item/Agganis Foundation Offensive Player of the Year and teammate David Hurley was named the William F. Connell Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
The Connell Award is named for a St. Mary?s and Boston College graduate who became one of the most successful businessmen in the country and a major benefactor of not only his alma maters but also a wide variety of charities. The award was presented by his daughter, Monica Connell Healey.
Winthrop?s Sean Driscoll, who led the Vikings to the Northeastern Conference/South crown and the MIAA Div. 4 North title game, was named the Peter Gamage Coach of the Year. The award was named this year for the late president of The Item and one of five generations of his family to own the paper before it was sold to Essex Media Group in October.
In a season that had so many outstanding performances, Santos? efforts stood out, as his 2,013 yards and 31 touchdowns broke the record of Tanner great Frank Candela. Santos also had a remarkable run in the Div. 1 North playoffs, scoring nine touchdowns and rushing for 449 yards combined against Lexington and Everett.
?All the credit goes to my offensive line,” Santos said. “They were outstanding. The bond we had as a team was great.”
One person who had a front row seat for all of Santos? exploits this season was Peabody coach Mark Bettencourt.
?To see Doug get this award was a little emotional,” said Bettencourt, who led Peabody to eight wins this season. “He put in a lot of hard work this spring and summer and this is a reward for that. It goes to show you what can happen when you do all the right things.”
Crayton was a beast for a Classical team that made the playoffs and won on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in his career. A three-time Item All-Star, Crayton recorded 101 tackles and scored the game-winning touchdown vs. English on Thanksgiving.
?I was very surprised,” said Crayton. “We did a lot of good things this year but this is a great honor.”
For Rushins, it was a fitting cap to a career that saw him rewrite the Fenwick record book. His 5,762 yards are a school record, the most ever by a running back in the area and the fifth-highest total in state history. He finished 2014 with 1,897 yards and 22 touchdowns despite being less than 100 percent for much of the second half of the season.
?It?s an awesome feeling to get this,” Rushins said. “And its even more special to see David (Hurley) get something also. It?s a great cap to my career.”
Hurley?s performance was outstanding, with 138 tackles, three sacks and one interception for the 11-1 Crusaders. But his achievements in the classroom are just as brilliant with a 4.02 GPA that ranks him among the best in his senior class.
?It means a lot to get the (Connell) Scholar-Athlete Award,” Hurley said. “And with Rufus winning as well, it?s great. We had such a great class of kids in ours and the one before. That showed in the last three years.”
It was also a special night for Driscoll, who guided the Vikings to a 10-1 record, as his son and two-way standout, Dylan Driscoll, was also honored for his excellence.
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