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Albany's Drew Neece is the Built Ford Tough Class 2A Player of the Year.
Few have endured the challenges that Drew Neece faced this season.
The 6-foot, 190-pound quarterback took the field for Albany each Friday night knowing that this dad, Doug, was in the final stages of his fight against lung cancer.
Doug Neece died on the morning of Albany's regular-season finale.
Nonetheless, Drew went out and led the Lions to a victory over Ranger, one of 14 wins for Albany that led all the way to their second straight state 2A Division II finals.
He completed 229 of 349 passes for 3,026 yards and 44 TDs and also rushed 134 times for 771 yards and eight scores.
For his career, he hit on 497 of 803 attempts for 6,809 yards and 105 TDs.
He also rushed for 2,507 yards and 25 scores.
The Lions won 41 of 45 games during his tenure as the starting quarterback, reaching the state semi-finals once and the finals twice.
Drew also excels off the gridiron. His straight-A average places him in the top 10 percent of his graduating class and in the National Honor Society. He's active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and his church youth ministry.
An all-district baseball and basketball player, he's a multi-event performer in track & field. On top of everything, he's also an Eagle Scout.
"Drew took over for us as a sophomore, and it has been great to see him grow in every way," said Albany Coach Denney Faith. "The key to his game is consistency; he always gives 100 percent effort, and it seems that every game is a great game. It's wonderful to know what you can expect from your quarterback. It's the intangibles that make him great. Lots of players have talent, Drew simply has great football instincts. What ultimately sets him apart are his courage, his intelligence, and his leadership."
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Few have endured the challenges that Drew Neece faced this season.
The 6-foot, 190-pound quarterback took the field for Albany each Friday night knowing that this dad, Doug, was in the final stages of his fight against lung cancer.
Doug Neece died on the morning of Albany's regular-season finale.
Nonetheless, Drew went out and led the Lions to a victory over Ranger, one of 14 wins for Albany that led all the way to their second straight state 2A Division II finals.
He completed 229 of 349 passes for 3,026 yards and 44 TDs and also rushed 134 times for 771 yards and eight scores.
For his career, he hit on 497 of 803 attempts for 6,809 yards and 105 TDs.
He also rushed for 2,507 yards and 25 scores.
The Lions won 41 of 45 games during his tenure as the starting quarterback, reaching the state semi-finals once and the finals twice.
Drew also excels off the gridiron. His straight-A average places him in the top 10 percent of his graduating class and in the National Honor Society. He's active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and his church youth ministry.
An all-district baseball and basketball player, he's a multi-event performer in track & field. On top of everything, he's also an Eagle Scout.
"Drew took over for us as a sophomore, and it has been great to see him grow in every way," said Albany Coach Denney Faith. "The key to his game is consistency; he always gives 100 percent effort, and it seems that every game is a great game. It's wonderful to know what you can expect from your quarterback. It's the intangibles that make him great. Lots of players have talent, Drew simply has great football instincts. What ultimately sets him apart are his courage, his intelligence, and his leadership."
More...