Andrew Libby and his Thornton Academy teammates had a football season to remember. What is likely to be the first of several honors for Libby over the next year came his way Wednesday when he was selected as Maine’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

The good news for Thornton, and the bad news for the rest of the league, is that Libby has another season. The junior running back/safety did a little bit of everything for the Golden Trojans, who won the Class A state championship with a 37-23 win over Lawrence High of Fairfield.

Besides being a two-way standout, Libby handled the punting and returned punts and kickoffs.

“He did a lot of different things for us,” said Coach Kevin Kezal. “I’m sure if you asked Andrew about the award, he would say it’s a team award and he could not have done it without his teammates. It’s a very nice honor and the school is really proud of him.”

Thornton moved Libby, a 6-foot, 195-pounder, around in the backfield to best utilize his talents. He lined up at running back and slot back, and took the snap in shotgun as the quarterback. In the regional and state finals, Libby carried the ball 28 times in each game.

Libby rushed for 1,091 yards from scrimmage and scored 23 touchdowns. He caught two passes for touchdowns, returned four punts for touchdowns and had an interception for a touchdown for a total of 30 touchdowns. He averaged 32 yards a punt.

Defensively, he was known for his hard hits and strong pass defense.

Libby is the first Thornton player to win the Gatorade Award since Art Leveris in 1991. Leveris won the James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy that season as the top high school player in the state. Being a junior, Libby is not eligible for the Fitzpatrick Trophy this year.