By Alex Carder, Staff Reporter

Senior Charlie Newhall became one of 55 students from Pennsylvania to receive the Mini Max award, an honor given to high school football athletes that show exemplary character and performance in the classroom and on the field.

Newhall is a linebacker and fullback on the varsity football team, as well as one of the team’s captains. He played on the Conestoga team all four years of high school. The example he set on and off the field led to former head coach of the football team Matt Diamond nominating him for the award.

Each school can submit one player to the Maxwell Football Club, which then rewards the selected players in December. After the nomination and the end of the season, Newhall received an email acknowledging his win.

“It was just like an invitation to the award banquet. It’s (a) somewhat special award,” Newhall said. “Now it’s not just about football but about the kind of person you are.”

The banquet, held on Feb. 4 at Drexel Hill, celebrated 155 athletes from Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. The original Maxwell award is a national honor for college football athletes, and the Mini Max award is split regionally.

“This is another exceptional class of student-athletes who will represent the Mini Max Award very well,” said Maxwell Football Club president Mark Dianno in his announcement of the 2023 winners. “During their high school careers, they consistently rose to meet challenges and performed extraordinary feats on the fields, in their classrooms and in their respective communities.”

Newhall’s teammate and fellow captain senior Benner Miller feels that Newhall deserves the award because of his effect on the team. He said Newhall was always leading by example and knew how to make a player the best they could be.

“I would say he’s like a natural leader. He’s a very loud and outspoken kind of guy, and he usually led more by example than he did with his voice. He is always a really hard worker in the weight room and on the field, and he set a good example for everyone around us,” Miller said.

Diamond, who coached Conestoga football for 19 years before stepping down after the 2023 season, coached Newhall for all four years at ’Stoga and nominated Newhall for the award.

“I thought that (the award) was well deserved,” Diamond said. “I thought that his qualities hit the qualifications of that award: both his performance on the field, but then also, his ability to be involved with the community and things like that off the field.”

Miller also said that Newhall was impactful on the field.

“He is a crazy human being,” Miller said. “He’s actually a freak athlete, and he deserves the award more than anyone else I know.”

Alex Carder can be reached at [email protected].