Gribbins Wins 2009 MVP of the Year

It is always the perfect way to cap the high school football season.  Thursday night was the 2009 NEWS 25 Home Team Friday MVP Banquet.  All 13 weekly MVPs, their parents, and their head coaches enjoyed an evening of football at Biaggi's Restaurant.

This is my favorite work night of the year.  It is so great to host the best talent in the Tri-State all in one room.  It is really hard to believe that we have been doing this for eleven years.  Thanks to all of the MVPs for a great season.  It is so much fun to cover all of you.  A special thanks to all of the coaches who let our cameras invade practice so much during the season.

This year had to be one of the hardest to choose the MVP of the Year.  Memorial senior quarterback Grant Gribbins has had a tremendous football career as a Tiger.  He is a very worthy winner among some great MVPs. 

Gribbins started the second game of the season his freshman year.  The past two seasons he has helped guide the Tigers to back to back state championship trips to Lucas Oil Stadium.  Gribbins finished the 2009 campaign as the top passer in the state of Indiana with 3363 yards and 35 touchdowns.  He rushed for 412 yards and 11 more scores.

Jeff Hudson, Matt McIntosh, Kolby O'Daniel, and Logan Hayford all did well in the voting.  McIntosh is only a junior and is a favorite to join his brother Paul as an MVP of the Year in 2010.  There are some other great returners such as Kal Prince of Owensboro and South Spencer's Zeke Harmon.

Gribbins joined me at the station to be on live for the 10pm sportscast.  He and his family couldn't be any nicer.  I even had Grant do the Aces highlights on the air.  He did a nice job. It has been a lot of fun covering Grant the past four years.  He is truly one of the best signal callers in Tri-State history.

From previews in August during two-a-days to the regular season to televising three playoff games, Reitz winning state, and the MVP banquet...2009 has been a season to remember!