(STATE COLLEGE, PA) – The NFF Central Pennsylvania Chapter, will honor 49 high school and seven college scholar-athletes at its 23rd Annual Awards Dinner on Sunday, March 1, at 1:30 PM inside The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. 
 
The 49 high school scholar-athletes will be honored by the NFF for their success on the field, in the classroom and commitment to community service. Several high school student-athletes will receive scholarships while one high school scholar-athlete will win the prestigious Joe Sarra Award, in honor of the late Penn State football assistant coach.
 
"It is an honor for The Board of Directors of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Football Foundation to sponsor the 23^rd annual scholar-athlete awards dinner," said Chapter President John Kulka. "The dinner recognizes local high school and college football student-athletes for their accomplishments academically, athletically and as community leaders. It's the chapter's principal event to further the mission of the NFF which is to promote and develop the power of amateur football in developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in America's young people."
 
Since initiating the awards banquet in 1998, the Central Pennsylvania Chapter has awarded a total of $249,000 in scholarship money while honoring 830 scholar-athletes from high schools located in its 25-county coverage area.
 
This year's scholar-athletes will receive a motivational message from former Penn State Linebacker and seven-year National Football League veteran Nate Stupar. Stupar was the seventh-round selection of the Oakland Raiders in the 2012 NFL Draft. He has contributed to multiple NFL franchises spending 2018 and part of 2019 with the New York Giants. Collegiately, he appeared in 52 games for Penn State, making 16 career starts. He was also a member of Penn State's 2008 Big Ten Championship team. In the classroom, he was selected Academic All-Big Ten from 2008-10. At State College High School, Stupar was first-team Associated Press all-state as a junior and senior along while being a 2007 Big 33 selection.
 
The NFF Central Pennsylvania Chapter is one of 120 chapters nationwide involving over 12,000 members. The reach of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter encompasses 25 counties and 101 high schools.
 
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The NFF & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit education organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people.
 
   
ALTOONA AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                       Adam Port
 
BALD EAGLE AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                 Asher Burkett
 
BEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL                                                  Jesse Arnold
 
BELLEFONTE AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                 Nick Catalano
 
BELLWOOD-ANTIS HIGH SCHOOL                                   Jackson Boyer
 
BISHOP CARROL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL                  Mavrick Farabaugh
 
BISHOP GUILFOYLE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL            John Donoughe
 
BISHOP MCCORT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL                 Hugh "Grant" Jeanjaquet
 
BROOKVILLE AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                  Ian Thrush
 
CAMBRIA HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL                                   Noah Donahue
 
CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL                                                   Braden Kitt
 
CENTRAL CAMBRIA HIGH SCHOOL                                 Dylan Long
 
CENTRAL MOUNTAIN HIGH SCHOOL                               Zane Probst
 
CHESTNUT RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL                                    Duane Knisely
 
CLARION/CLARION-LIMESTONE                                       Mitchell Knepp
 
CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL  HIGH SCHOOL                             Connor Oakes
 
CLEARFIELD AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                  Alan Myers
 
CURWENSVILLE AREA HIGH SCHOOL                            Nick Holbert
 
DUBOIS AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                           Chase Husted
 
EVERETT HIGH SCHOOL                                                    Cameron Mellott
 
HOLLIDAYSBURG AREA HIGH SCHOOL                         David (DJ) Heim
 
HOMER-CENTER JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL                           Dakota Koleszar
 
HUNTINGDON AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                Nicholas Troha
 
JERSEY SHORE AREA HIGH SCHOOL                             Tanner Lorson
 
JUNIATA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL                                     Caden Rupert
 
KARNS CITY HIGH SCHOOL                                               Anthony Kamenski
 
LOYALSOCK TOWN./ST. JOHN NEUMAN  HS                 Simone Mileto
 
MIFFLINBURG AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                Rylee Stahl
 
MIFFLIN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL                                     Zachary Bickhart
 
MOSHANNON VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL                             Noah Webb
 
MOUNT UNION HIGH SCHOOL                                           Christopher Dodd
 
NORTHERN BEDFORD COUNTY                                       Colby Imler
 
PENN CAMBRIA HIGH SCHOOL                                        Hunter Wagner
 
PENNS VALLEY AREA HIGH SCHOOL                             Austin Fisher
 
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA HIGH SCHOOL                         Andrew Sypa
 
PUNXSUTAWNEY AREA HIGH SCHOOL                           Derek Ishman
           
PURCHASE LINE HIGH SCHOOL                                       Giovanni Scott
 
RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL                                                  Koby Bailey
 
RIDGWAY HIGH SCHOOL                                                   Paul Gresco
 
SHAMOKIN AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                     Nathan Grimes
 
SOUTHERN HUNTINGDON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL     Scott Garlock
 
ST. MARYS AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                     Cain Pfoutz
 
STATE COLLEGE AREA HIGH SCHOOL                           Nathan Lusk
 
TYRONE AREA HIGH SCHOOL                                          Brandon Homan
 
UNITED JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL                                           Jacob Dixon
 
WEST BRANCH AREA HIGH SCHOOL                              Ayden Gutierrez
 
WILLIAMSBURG COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL                Adam Uplinger
 
WILLIAMSPORT AREA HIGH SCHOOL                             Ethan Williamson
 

 
2019 - 2020 COLLEGE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD NOMINEES
 
BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY                                                    Chad Freshnock
 
JUNIATA COLLEGE                                                             Austin Montgomery
 
LOCK HAVEN UNIVERSITY                                                 Chantz Swartz
 
LYCOMING COLLEGE                                                         Cody Botts
 
PENN STATE UNIVERSITY                                                 Blake Gillikin
 
ST. FRANCIS UNIVERSITY                                                 Geo Vonne Sanders
 
SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY                                            Connor Young