Tyler Benjamin of Belfast and Mike Marsh of Rockland were among 21 Maine football standouts honored recently as recipients of the 20th annual scholar-athlete awards presented by the State of Maine Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Benjamin, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound offensive and defensive lineman, was a two-year starter who earned Pine Tree Conference Class B all-academic team honors. A multi-sport athlete who also competed in skiing and track, he ranks 12th in his class and has been accepted into the Air Force Academy.

Benjamin is president of the local chapter of the National Honor Society and also is active in the Boy Scouts, having attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Marsh, a 5-10, 185-pound running back and linebacker, captured All-LTC and LTC all-academic honors in football in addition to competing in track and baseball at Rockland. A National Honor Society member, he ranks 11th in his class and plans to attend Holy Cross this fall. Marsh is an active volunteer in youth sports and attended Dirigo Boys State.

Other scholar-athletes honored include three members of the 2006 Class A champion Lawrence of Fairfield Bulldogs, Fitzpatrick Award finalist Aaron Champagne and twins Mike and Tom Hersom.

The Hersoms’ father, Lawrence coach John Hersom, was named the state’s coach of the year by the Maine chapter for leading the Bulldogs to the state championship.

Other high school scholar-athlete award recipients were Garrick Brown of Madison, Daniel Avery and Ben Delcourt of Bonny Eagle of Standish, Mike Durrell and Mark O’Shea of Livermore Falls, Nick Ford of Falmouth, Josh Leger and Jared Turcotte of Lewiston, Chris LeRoy of Deering of Portland, Nick Ouellette of Messalonskee of Oakland, John Ringer of Waterville, Stephen Shorey of Kennebunk, Jonathan Smith of Sanford, and Chris Treister of Portland.

Charles Bachelder of Bridgton Academy was honored as the state’s prep school scholar-athlete, while this year’s collegiate honoree was Jamie Walker of Bates College in Lewiston.

Several other members of Maine’s football community also were honored during the Maine chapter’s annual banquet at Bowdoin College in Brunswick.

Dexter High football coach Tim Wilson received the organization’s Distinguished American Award for his work with the Seeds of Peace camp in Otisfield that brings together youth from the Middle East, south Asia, and central Europe each summer.

Charlie Roberts of Bangor was recognized with the Football Officials’ Recognition Award. A World War II veteran, Roberts was a longtime football official in eastern Maine who also has been heavily involved in youth sports.

The late Mike Landry, who coached Biddeford High School to six Class A state championships and later went on to coach at Westbrook before his death last December, was honored with the Contribution to Amateur Football Award.

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame is dedicated to mobilizing the constructive forces of amateur football, at all levels, for the benefit of society as a whole. The State of Maine Chapter has been honoring scholar-athletes since its establishment in 1988.