CHAPEL HILL – The North Carolina High School Athletic Association is pleased to announce the winner of the Male Athlete of the Year for the 2019-2020 School Year. The award is in its 35th year and winners receive the Pat Best Memorial Trophy.

This year’s Male Athlete of the Year is Jefferson Boaz from East Surry. The winner, finalists, and semifinalists were chosen from nominations received from coaches, media and school administrators.

Jefferson Boaz – East Surry High School

Jefferson Boaz led the East Surry Cardinals to the school’s first Football State Championship in spectacular fashion, defeating Tarboro 56-28 while setting a new State Championship Game neutral site records for most passing yards, most completions and most touchdown passes. Boaz completed 33 of 42 passes for 478 yards and seven touchdowns in the game and was selected as the 1AA Championship Most Valuable Player. For the season, the quarterback threw for 4,615 yards, which was sixth in the nation according to MaxPreps.com, and 65 touchdowns. Boaz was selected for the 2019 Shrine Bowl, NC Preps All-State, Associated Press NC Offensive Player of the Year, and the 2019 Small School All-American Football Second Team. 

For Boaz, his accomplishments did not stop on the gridiron, he led the Cardinals basketball team to an 18-7 record, averaging 23.9 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per contest. He is East Surry’s All-Time leading scorer and was the Northwest 1A Conference Player of the Year, earning the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association’s District 11 Player of the Year honors. In the COVID-19 shortened baseball season, Boaz had started the year 2-0 as a pitcher without allowing an earned run while striking out 13 in just eight innings of work. He is committed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to continue his football and academic career.