Cd'A QB Yankoff named Gatorade Idaho Football Player of the Year
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 9 years, 3 months AGO
CHICAGO — Coeur d’Alene High junior quarterback Colson Yankoff was named Gatorade Idaho Football Player of the Year on Monday, The Gatorade Company announced.
The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. As a state award winner, Yankoff is now a finalist for the national player of the year award.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Yankoff passed for 3,129 yards and 27 touchdowns this past season, leading the Vikings to a 6-4 record and the class 5A quarterfinals. Yankoff completed 271 of 400 passes and was intercepted just six times. He also rushed for 968 yards and 26 touchdowns on 112 carries. Yankoff was selected the 5A Inland Empire League’s Offensive MVP.
Yankoff has maintained a 3.96 GPA. He has volunteered locally as a peer mentor in his school.
“Colson Yankoff was the best quarterback we saw all year,” said Camas (Wash.) High coach Jon Eagle, whose Papermakers beat Coeur d’Alene earlier this season, and went on to win the Washington 4A title. “He’s accurate, with a strong arm. He extends plays, he has great pocket presence, he can run, and he really competes.”
Yankoff verbally committed to Oregon last summer. But when the Ducks’ coaching staff was fired following this season, Yankoff decommitted from Oregon, 247Sports and The Oregonian reported Monday night.
Former Coeur d’Alene High quarterback Chad Chalich won the Gatorade Idaho Football Player of the Year award in 2011.
As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Yankoff will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program. Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support. 12 spotlight grants – one for each sport – will be announced throughout the year.