CHICAGO – The Gatorade Company, in partnership with ESPN RISE Magazine, has announced Jack Heary of Deering High School in Portland was selected as the 2008-09 Gatorade Maine Football Player of the Year.

The 5-foot-9, 160-pound senior running back rushed for 2,177 yards and scored 35 touchdowns on 210 carries, averaging 10.4 yards per attempt.

The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstration on and off the field. Heary is not a finalist for the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year.