Friday nights this fall were filled with fans watching Oxford High School senior Prescott Line run around, over and through opposing defenders on his way to the endzone.
Even though Oxford lost in the opening round of districts, Line’s dominance on the football field was rewarded as he was selected as the recipient of the 2011 Mr. Football Award for the state of Michigan, an honor bestowed upon the state’s top prep football player.
This season, Line helped lead the Wildcats to a 7-3 record and a second place finish in the Oakland Activities Association White division.
He finished the season with a school and OAA league record 2,454 rushing yards, 37 touchdowns and one two-point conversion. As a linebacker, Line recorded 128 tackles, (58 solo), 10 tackles for loss, four sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
‘The football team is excited for him. We are proud of him and Oxford High School is proud and the community and administrators are so excited for Prescott Line,? varsity coach Bud Rowley said.
OHS Athletic Director Mike Watson agreed.
‘Obviously he (Line) is a special talent, but we have a pretty talented team, pretty talented offensive line (and) a very capable coaching staff that puts him in a great position to have big numbers,? Watson added.
‘The young man is a fine young man, the family is a great family, plus his teammates were great teammates…all 50 players worked together and took the good with the bad and kept going and kept plugging along and had a phenomenal, fabulous year, and it is all topped off by all the awards the other players have won and the many awards that Prescott Line has won,? Rowley added.
Other Mr. Football finalists were Lowell’s Gabe Dean, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s James Ross and Lansing Catholic’s Cooper Rush.
Line was presented with the Mr. Football Award on Friday, Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. at Oxford Middle School before the start of the Oakland County Wrestling Championships.
‘He was very deserving of this award,? said Jonathan Kidd, producer of State Champs. ‘There was some tough competition this year in our candidates, but he stood out from among the rest.?
A panel of judges and writers used a formula consisting of performance throughout the season (30 percent), level of competition (20 percent), online voting results (20 percent), big game performances (15 percent), team success (10 percent) and highly recruited athlete (5 percent).
Line won the ‘State Champs? online vote with a total of 102,155 votes.
‘It was pretty much his big game performances…against Clarkston, Lake Orion. He was the most dominant player on both sides of the field on both offense and defense,? Kidd said.
‘He is a very dominant player,? Kidd added. ‘At first glance, you don’t think of him as a fast running back, but once he hits the hole, he is gone.?
In addition to winning Mr. Football, Line racked up numerous other awards.
Line earned first team All-OAA white division team honors, was an all-Oakland County and all-area selection and was the Division One and Two Michigan Player of the Year.
He was also named captain of the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News ‘Dream Team,? named to the Associated Press all-state team and was a first team member of the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association All-State team.
‘I don’t think he can win any more awards because all of the awards have (already) been won by Prescott Line, who has had a storied high school career,? Rowley said. ‘The young man has won every award, made every team and just done a fabulous job this past fall.?
Rowley added he knew Line was going to be special from the moment be began coaching him as a freshmen.
‘The sky is the limit with people like that and with kids with that much talent, that much drive, that much hard work, that good morales and character, the sky is the limit,? Rowley said.
Line has verbally committed to Southern Methodist University, where his brother Zach has earned all-Conference USA honors as a running back.