Sports
Brendan Oliver Leads the Way For Pingree
The senior quarterback that led his team to a spectacular win at Gillette Stadium this fall caps off a championship season with Player Of The Year honor.
The Highlanders football team finished up 9-0 this season, winning the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Class C Championship. Quarterback Brendan Oliver - recently named Small School Player of the Year - led the way.
Oliver lit up the Rivers School at Gillette Stadium in a 36-28 victory on Nov. 20, the Highlanders 16th straight win to lock up the NEPSAC title.
Oliver was named the -North Shore 104.9 Small School Player Of The Year last week at an awards banquet at the Peabody restaurant.
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“I was shocked when they told me,” Oliver said. “This was the first time our school has really been recognized for our football team, and it was an honor to be part of it.”
Coach Chris Powers has taken the program up quickly, winning a title in only its fifth season of football at the Hamilton school. The Highlanders finished 4-4 in 2008 and 5-3 in 2009, before going 9-0 this past fall.
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Prior to his recent honors, Oliver was named Player of the Week Nov. 16 after a 37-9 win over Pomfret. In addition to his duties under center, Oliver, a senior captain, also plays outside linebacker on defense.
“Besides winning the title, the best moment of the season was finally beating Tilton Academy,” Oliver said. “We had never beaten them, so it was great feeling to finally knock them off.”
Oliver passed for over 2,400 yards last season, including 24 touchdown passes. Oliver also ran for four touchdowns, accounting for 168 points.
Standing 6 foot, 2 inches and 240 pounds, Oliver plays power forward on the basketball team, and this spring he’ll be on the mound and behind the plate for Pingree’s baseball team.
“Pingree has been a great experience for me,” Oliver said. “I’ve enjoyed the athletics, but more importantly, I’ve really grown as a person while I’ve been here.”
Oliver hasn’t finalized his college plans, but has his eyes on Trinity College after leaving Pingree.
Oliver, who started at quarterback since the second game of his junior year, is very proud of what he’s accomplished at Pingree.
“I’m having a fairy tale senior year,” Oliver said. “This has really been unbelievable, especially the way the football season ended.”
“I’ve got a really great group of friends at Pingree, and great teammates too.”
