Stone Saunders Wins Maxwell Football Club Major Awards
Kentucky freshman quarterback Stone Saunders was announced as the 2024 recipient of the Maxwell Football Club’s Pennsylvania Player of the Year and was named the 40th winner of the Jim Henry Award as the tri-state player who demonstrates excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community. The awards were announced at the Maxwell Club’s 40th Mini Max Awards dinner where 153 outstanding players from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware were honored for their outstanding play in 2024.
Saunders, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound mid-year enrollee from Harrisburg, Pa., shattered every school and state record during his four-year career at Bishop McDevitt High School. He finished his impressive prep career as Pennsylvania’s all-time leading passer with 13,719 yards, 781 completions and 204 career touchdowns. His marks surpassed 2023 Jim Henry winner Alex Erby’s (Steelton Highspire) records which stood at 13,567 yards and 175 touchdowns. Saunders led Bishop McDevitt to four district titles, two 5A state titles (2022 and 2024) and finished with a career record of 52-6 as the Crusaders’ quarterback.
In his senior season alone, he threw for 3,577 yards and 48 touchdowns with 10 interceptions to help lead McDevitt to the 5A state title.
The Maxwell Club honors capped a prolific career for Saunders, who racked up some of the state’s biggest honors during his career, most notably Gatorade Player of the Year, Pennsylvania Mr. Football and All-Pennsylvania State Player of the Year.
Off the field, Saunders devotes his time as a volunteer with the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation and as a youth football coach and mentor.
“When you think of the legendary quarterbacks who have come from the state of Pennsylvania who Stone surpassed it’s just mind-blowing,” Mark Wolpert, executive director of the Maxwell Football Club said. “You’re talking about names like Montana, Namath, Marino, and Kelly. Stone just shattered their passing marks during his career, and he joins an elite club of recent Jim Henry winners like Will Howard (Downingtown West/Ohio State) and Kyle McCord (St. Josephs Prep/Syracuse) who were generally considered as two of the top quarterbacks in college football this past season. His future is very bright.”
Saunders won’t be the first notable quarterback from the Keystone State to play at Kentucky. Vito “Babe” Parilli, who guided UK to a 28-8 record from 1949-51 (including appearances in the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl), went on to a 16-year pro career, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, hailed from Rochester, Pa. George Blanda (1945-48) led the Wildcats to their first bowl game and victory in 1947, had a Pro Football Hall of Fame career as a QB/kicker and became the leading scorer in pro football history. He came to UK from Youngwood, Pa.
Saunders will join the Maxwell Football Club’s 2024 college and professional winners at the 88th Maxwell Awards Friday, March 14, 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Honorees include Ashton Jeanty (Boise State), Travis Hunter (Colorado), Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles), Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), and Herschel Walker (Georgia/Legends Award). Tickets are available at www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB – The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, the NFL Foundation, The Seiler Group-Raymond James, Quinco Inc., Bradford White, DCH Health System, Vertical Raise, SRA Inc, the ETC Foundation and the BABC Law Firm. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
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