HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: BENNETT, MOSHER, EDWARDS NOMINATED FOR ERNIE DAVIS AWARD (2024-12-09)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
ELMIRA — A trio of area football standouts are nominated for one of the most prestigious awards you’ll find as three seniors are up for the 2024 Ernie Davis Award.

The nominees are Jaden Bennett of Edison, Lucas Mosher of Horseheads and Nolan Edwards of Elmira.

JADEN BENNETT
Bennett was called up to varsity late in his freshman year and is a three-year starter for the Spatans at both the outside and middle linebacker positions. He even volunteerd to play offensive line even though he had never done it before.

Bennett had 47 tackles, three interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recoverly, leading the team in takeaways.

Offensively he played right uard and helped anchor a line that blocked for 1,878 rushing yards and 23 scores and 765 passing yard snad eight scores.

His dominating play helped Edison end a 17-year playoff drought and obtain their first winning season in 17 years. He was named as a Section IV, Division VIII first-team all-star.

Coach Kyle Erickson calls him a person who does anything asked of him and never complains or makes excuses and has always put the success of the team above everyone else.

“It’s really cool,” Bennett said of being a nominee for the award. “Because, I honestly never would have thought I would get nominated in the first place. I was just trying to bring a winning season and make the playoffs. It’s really cool.”

To be up for an award named after Ernie Davis is special to Bennett.

“It’s an honor to be able to be compared to him,” Benentt said. “To be up for this award. Because I just try and be nice and do my best because I honestly never thought I’d be nominated.”

LUCAS MOSHER
A player that coach Kevin Hillman calls one of the most dynamic and explosive players on the team. Mosher ran for 850 yards on just 94 carries for a 9.0 yards a carry average and he rushed for 16 yards.

Mosher also had 21 catches for 420 yards and five scores averaging 20 yards a catch. He had 1,200 total yards and 21 scores and averaged over 11 yards a touch.

Mosher was also a strong clocking back and on defense he was a free safety that had six pass breakups, three interceptions, one returned 45 yards for a score. He was also a factor in the run game with 35 tackles.

Hillman calls hime one of the most complete and dynamic players he has coached.

Mosher has been a starter for two years and was a first-team Section IV Class A all-star the past two years. He’s a player Hillman said is willing to do whatever is needed to make the team better.

“It’s a great honor to be up for this award along with these fellow athletes, great athletes,” Mosher said. “It’s really honoring to be up here and nominated for an award like this.

“It shows the great characteristics that Ernie Davis had and similiar traits like that and it means a lot to me.”

A year ago the award was won by Horseheads running back Bradock Salisbury and Mosher would love to make it two years in a row with the award going to a Blue Raiders back.

“A good back to back, that would be awesome,” Mosher said. “It was talking to him (Salisbury) a while ago saying I wanted to get in this position and here I am now.”

NOLAN EDWARDS
Wdwards played a crucial role in Elmira’s journey to the Section IV Class AA Regional Championship game.

He’s a three-year varsity football player and two year starter. He competed in the sectional title game all three years, and won two titles.

Playing as a cornerback Edwards had 24.5 tackles, three pass breakups and a blocked field goal. But, as coach Jimmy McCauley said his true value lies in his ability to manage diverse personalities during practice and maintain positie relationships with everyone on the team. McCauley says he was the glue that held the team together.

“It means a lot (to be nominated), not just in our program, but at our school we always have been told about Ernie Davis and what he meant on and off the field and it’s just great to be recognized for this great award,” Edwards said.

The fact that the award is for more than just athletics, but also carrying the traits of Davis is special.

“It’s awesome,” Edwards said. “It’s always preached to be like Ernie in our school. Back in eighth grade we had a saying be like Ernie and be a champ and it’s just great people see me like that and I’m just trying to act as respectful as I can during the practices, games, whatever and just trying to be a teacher.”

The fact that Edwards goes to Elmira, the same school Davis went to, makes being nominated even more special.

“It’s always preached be like Ernie on and off the field, be the best man you can be, be a great young man and be great to the society,” Edwards said.
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES.




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