COEUR d'ALENE - Lake City High School senior Max Johnson was in disbelief when he realized he was the winner of a brand new car.

"I won it," he whispered to Principal Deanne Clifford after his name was announced.

"I think he was pretty shocked," Clifford said, beaming about her student's victory.

Max was among 150 seniors who excitedly gathered in Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy's multipurpose room Thursday morning to see which lucky student would win the charcoal gray 2015 Ford Focus from car dealer Tom Addis.

All the names were placed in a tumbler and just six were drawn, calling the six students on stage in anticipation. Of those six, four were called back to their seats. It was between Max and Timberlake High School senior Katie Malloy, but only one name was finally called: Max.

"I stood there and said, 'You need to call someone, who are you going to call?'" Clifford said. "But the funny part was, there were two kids left, there was Timberlake and Lake City sitting up there being represented, and honestly, I looked at (Max) and he didn't look like himself, you know, it was that nervous thing came over him."

Max immediately called his dad to report the news.

"No really, I won a car," Max told his dad, who said, "Are you kidding me?"

"His dad handed the phone to his mom and sister and they were screaming," Clifford said. "It was very sweet."

The hopeful seniors represented the top 10 percent of their graduating classes that qualified to be entered into the drawing to win the brand new ride. LCHS had 25 attending seniors while the rest were from Charter Academy, Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Timberlake and Lakeland high schools.

LCHS senior counselor Sue Hennesey enthusiastically celebrated Max's win.

"We were thrilled to see Max win the car," she said. "He's a great, well-deserving student and we were all thrilled when his name was called."

"It was like a dozen cheerleaders came out of this woman," Clifford said of Hennesey's reaction. "Tom Addis said, 'Are you a super senior?'"

This was the 17th year for the annual Lake City Ford/Addis student car giveaway, which honors seniors who are departing high school with impressive academic achievements.

Clifford said this is the sixth time in 9 years that a LCHS student is driving away with a new set of wheels, and she couldn't be prouder.

"What I would say specifically about this senior class, and I've been saying this for four years, this is probably the nicest group of young people I've seen come through this school in 20 years," Clifford said. "I don't say it lightly, because they've created a family atmosphere. They are incredible role models, they are service oriented and it has been one of those years that, as a principal, as staff, you just thank your lucky stars because these are just the sweetest people you could know. And then to be the top 10 percent, in GPA, of that class, is a pretty phenomenal feat. I'm just super proud of this entire class."

Clifford said she talked with Max on the bus ride back to school after the event. Right now, Max drives a 2004 Subaru.

But not anymore.

"It's an OK car," Clifford said. "He's headed to North Idaho College next year, he can use the new car."