On Feb. 1, the Joseph F. Cohen Blanket Award was given to Manuel Miller during the sports signing ceremony. This is the ninety-sixth year the award has been given. It is the oldest high school award in the country. Every year, the award is given to a senior football player who shows integrity, honesty, sportsmanship and success on and off the field. 

Miller chose to attend Saint Francis University come fall after getting full ride scholarship offers at nine different colleges. 

“I chose Saint Francis University because it offers a great education and a great football program. There are also a couple other guys from Central Pa. going there. I’m excited to go up to Saint Francis and compete. It’s always been a dream of mine to compete at the Division one level, so I’m happy I can compete at the highest level of football,” Miller said.  

Picking the athlete the award goes to means picking who the coach feels deserves it the most throughout his qualities. 

“It’s not always going to who you would think would be the most valuable player throughout the course of history. It’s an outstanding, well deserved award. It goes to the player that Coach Nedimyer feels deserves it the most,” athletic director Phillip Riccio said.

Throughout the years, football players who’ve won the award have gone on to play in college, and some have even made it to the National Football League. 

“We’ve had some that have gone on to play professionally. A large majority have gone on to play in college. There’s just a lot of good things to come out of the sport. The list is very long in terms of where athletes have gone with the sport,” head coach Vince Nedimyer said. 

According to Riccio, the award is something some high school football players strive to receive from the time they start playing. 

“It’s a big deal. It’s 96 or 97 years old. It’s something every modern football player from the time they start playing in elementary school aspires to and wants. Everyone wants  to be that guy because, you know, there’s one a year, and it’s an honor to receive,” Riccio said. 

Nedimyer makes the decision who gets the  award. 

“The award is really based over a three year period of time. Leadership, how he plays on the field, what kind of a teammate he is,” Nedimyer said. “He has all of those things, and we’ve had him playing for us for three years. He’s been a good leader for all of those years and really did a nice job.”

Miller knew the meaning behind the award he had earned. There is a lot to the blanket award. 

“I felt really excited and honored to get the award because of the prestigiousness of the award,” Miller said. 

Miller is described by his coach as a great athlete on and off the field. Someone any coach would want to have on their team. 

“He’s somebody who has always set a good example with the way he worked. He had goals. He was a good teammate. He was coachable. Just somebody any coach on any team would want to have around him,” Nedimyer said. 

Teammates believed Miller would likely be one of the candidates for the Blanket Award. 

“I knew Manny would be a top candidate for the award because of his leadership and athletic achievement. Manny is someone who puts in 110 percent, and he expects those around him to do the same,” senior Ian Palilla said.