The REPORTER
In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade on Friday announced Sam Divis of Noblesville High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Indiana Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Divis is the second Gatorade Indiana Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Noblesville High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Divis as Indiana’s best high school boys soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Divis joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ben Bender (2019-20, Calvert Hall College High School, Md.), Jacob Shaffelburg (2017-18, Berkshire School, Mass.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire School, Mass.) and Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.).
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior forward led the Millers to a 16-3-3 record and the Class 3A state championship this past season. Divis tallied 11 goals and 10 assists, including the assist on the lone goal in Noblesville’s 1-0 win over Columbus North High in the state title game. A 2022 United Soccer Coaches All-American selection, this was Divis’ only season of high school soccer after previously playing exclusively with his club team.
Divis has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach and referee. “Sam is a very talented player that was especially good during their run to [the state title],” said Phil Schmidt, head coach of Fishers High School. “He is an excellent attacking and 1v1 player. He really keyed them late in the season and during the state tournament.”
Noblesville’s Sam Divis was named the Gatorade Indiana Boys Soccer Player
of the Year for the 2022-23 school year. Divis helped the Millers to Class 3A state
championship and will play at Northern Illinois University this fall. (Kent Graham/File photo)
Divis has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Northern Illinois University this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.
Divis joins recent Gatorade Indiana Boys Soccer Players of the Year Palmer Ault (2021-22, Noblesville High School), Zack Bowser (2020-21, Chesterton High School), Chris Freeman (2019-20, Zionsville Community High School), and Jack Eaton (2018-19, Chesterton High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.
Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.
For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student- athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow its social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.