Football: Stone Bridge Standout Jonathan Allen Named Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year

Stone Bridge SR Jonathan Allen makes a tackle in regional title win.
(photo by Steven Holland/Viva Loudoun)

(November 29, 2012) — In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, today announced Jonathan Allen of Stone Bridge High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Virginia Football Player of the Year.

Allen is the second Gatorade Virginia Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Stone Bridge High School with Ed Wang chosen in 2005 and the second straight player chosen from Loudoun with Briar Woods' Alex Carter (Stanford freshman) winning last year.


The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Allen as Virginia’s best high school football player.

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award announced in December, Allen joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Wes Welker (1999-00, Heritage Hall HS, Okla.), Terrell Suggs (1999- 00, Hamilton HS, Ariz.), Anquan Boldin (1998-99, Pahokee HS, Fla.) and Jerome Bettis (1989-90, Mackenzie HS, Mich.).

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior defensive end has led the Bulldogs to a 13-0 record a berth in the Division 5 state semifinals against Hanover, scheduled for Dec. 1. Allen has amassed 103 tackles through 13 games, with nine sacks, eight pass deflections, six fumble recoveries and six blocked kicks.

A two-time First Team All-State and Washington Post All-Met selection, he has also been chosen to play in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Allen has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has volunteered locally on behalf of youth football programs.

“Allen has power, acceleration, and speed to get to the ball,” said Greg Sullivan, head coach at George Marshall High. “He’s easily the best defensive player I have seen in 30 years of coaching high school and small college football.”

Allen has verbally committed to play football on scholarship at the University of Alabama beginning in the fall of 2013.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Allen joins recent Gatorade Virginia Football Players of the Year Alex Carter (2011-12, Briar Woods High School), Demetrious Nicholson (2010-11, Bayside High School), Phillip Sims (2009-10, Oscar Smith), David Wilson (2008-09, George Washington High School) and Mike Glennon (2007-08, Westfield) among the state’s list of former award winners.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.

Previous Virginia Gatorade Football Player of the Year
1986 - Ron Carey (Hermitage)
1987 - Matt Darby (Green Run)
1988 - Chris Hart (Harrisonburg)
1989 - Terry Kirby (Tabb)
1990 - B.J. Hawkins (Potomac)
1991 - Aaron Sparrow (Woodrow Wilson)
1992 - Tommy Edwards (Radford)
1993 - Antonio Prosise (Sussex Central)
1994 - Ken Oxendine (Thomas Dale)
1995 - Maurice Daniels (Annandale)
1996 - Thomas Jones (Powell Valley)
1997 - Ronald Curry (Hampton)
1998 - Ronald Curry (Hampton)
1999 - Daniel Davis (Brooke Point)
2000 - Raymond Mann (Hampton)
2001 - Bryan Randall (Bruton)
2002 - Kai Parham (Princess Anne)
2003 - Vince Hall (Western Branch)
2004 - Chris Long (St. Anne's-Belfield)
2005 - Ed Wang (Stone Bridge)
2006 - Evan Royster (Westfield)
2007 - Tyrod Taylor (Hampton)
2008 - Mike Glennon (Westfield)
2009 - David Wilson (George Washington-Danville)
2010 - Phillip Sims (Oscar Smith)
2011 - Demetrious Nicholson (Bayside)
2012 - Alex Carter (Briar Woods)
2013 - Jonathan Allen (Stone Bridge)