Pasadena Players Honored With Buzz Platt Award

Every year the Anne Arundel Youth Football Association presents the Buzz Platt Player Award to a select group of 13U players. One 13U player from each organization receives the award, which is named after the founder of the AAYFA, in recognition of his excellence in play, character and sportsmanship.

This year, the recipients from the Pasadena area are the Buccaneers’ Cameron Neal, the Pasadena Chargers’ Bryce Patterson and the Pasadena Panthers’ Gavin Maresca.

The players were presented their awards in a ceremony at Chesapeake High School on November 11.

Neal has played with the Bucs since age 8 and has always displayed outstanding sportsmanship, said Buccaneers commissioner Chris Sexton.

“It’s been a joy to coach Cameron all these years,” said Sexton. “The younger and less experienced players looked up to Cameron as a positive role model, and the sportsmanship he displayed during this season and in previous seasons is unrivaled. We wish Cameron the best of luck in high school.”

Patterson, whose nickname “Nice Bryce” reflects both his personality and skills on the football field, is a longtime Charger who is a standup representative of the organization.

“Bryce has been a Charger since day one of his football career and has always represented the Chargers with great respect on and off the field,” said Chargers commissioner Chris Katzenberger. “His hard work on the field spills over to the classroom, where he is a model student-athlete.”

Maresca has played with the Panthers since the flag football level and has always embodied the organization’s ideals, said Panthers football commissioner Bucky Wheeler.

“Although not the biggest, fastest, or strongest player, [Gavin] has epitomized what the organization has espoused: clean play, sportsmanship toward your teammates as well as your opponent, fairness, honesty and 100 percent effort, year-in and year-out,” said Wheeler. “As commissioner, I am honored to see Gavin represent our organization for this award.”

Here are the 19 recipients from 13U-level teams in each AAYFA organizations:

Andover Apaches Morgan Leisner

Brooklyn Park Broncos Damien Wilburn

Buccaneers
 Cameron Neal

Cape St. Claire Cougars Josh Ehrlich

Crofton Cardinals Nolan Lundsford

SRYA Seahawks Austin Johnson

Generals Highway Jaden Johnson

GORC Wildcats
 DJ Bowdry

Old Mill Patriots Zion Pinkney

PAL Hawks Julian Craig

Pasadena Panthers Gavin Maresca

Pasadena Chargers Bryce Patterson

Upper Queen Anne’s Lions Tucker Brown

Harundale Rebels Kyle Purkey

Severna Park Green Hornets Declan Fox

Severn Seminoles James Henson III

Davidsonville Gators Will Raymond

SCYA Bulldogs Michael McNeill

South Bowie Sharks Elijah Williams