It is with great honor that the staff of NCPreps.com announce the winner of the 2021 Arnold R. Solomon Award for the North Carolina High School Football Player of the Year for the spring season to defensive lineman Travis Shaw of Grimsley High School. The award is sponsored by VTO Sports.
Shaw, a 6-foot-6, 325-pound junior has been an outstanding student-athlete for the Whirlies as he led the team to a 10-0 record and a 4A state championship. This year, he finished the season by making 84 total tackles 5 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hurries, an interception, and a fumble recovery.
He is a 5-star recruit from Rivals.com and has a top school list of Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, North Carolina, LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Oregon, Florida, Florida State, and North Carolina A&T.
"Travis Shaw has achieved a lot of success during his career at Grimsley. He is having an outstanding career on the gridiron and by hard work he has made himself into one of the top high school football players in the nation. He is a tremendous leader and showed that during the Whirlies’ state championship run. We are honored to select a very deserving student-athlete like Travis for this award and wish him nothing but the best in future endeavors," stated Deana King, Publisher of NCPreps.com.
The Arnold R. Solomon Award was started in 2010 in honor of Mr. Solomon, who was the founder of NCPreps.com and North Carolina Prep Football News, Inc. Solomon, who resides in Kannapolis is a long-time high school sports historian and was known state-wide for his Fearless Freddie Farkel football predictions. He also started the North Carolina Prep Football News Yearbook, which is one of the best sources of NC high school information around.
"Arnold retired back in 2009 and I wanted to do something to honor him for all his work dealing with the student-athletes. This was a no-brainer to name the award after him,"said King.
ARNOLD R. SOLOMON WINNERS:
2010 - QB Marquise Williams - Mallard Creek
2011 - RB Todd Gurley - Tarboro
2012 - RB T.J. Logan - Northern Guilford
2013 - RB Elijah Hood - Charlotte Catholic
2014 - QB Chazz Surratt - East Lincoln
2015 - QB Chazz Surratt - East Lincoln
2016 - QB Hendon Hooker - Dudley
2017 - RB Zamir White - Scotland County
2018 - QB Sam Howell - Sun Valley
2019 - LB Trenton Simpson - Mallard Creek
