CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Fresh off helping Harding University High win their first state championship in 64 years, Quavaris Crouch was named Gatorade Player of the Year for North Carolina.
The 6-foot-4 running back led the Rams to a 13-1 record en route to the 4A state title. He junior rushed for over 3,100 yards and 31 touchdowns through his first 14 games. On defense, Crouch was a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, piling up 14 sacks and 42 total tackles. He was a first-team All-State selection for the Rams.
Crouch, who maintained a 3.1 GPA this year, is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has volunteered as a peer mentor at Harding. Crouch is the fourth Charlotte-area player to be named Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina since 2009, joining Christian LeMay (2009), Will Grier (2012, 2013), Josh Ladowski (2014) and Chazz Surratt (2015).
As part of winning the prestigious award, Crouch will receive $1,000 grant to donate to a national or local youth sports organization.