North Kingstown's James Osmanski Named RI Gatorade Player of Year

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — A senior season that included 2,807 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns, 15 rushing touchdowns and a Division 1 Super Bowl championship has culminated in James Osmanski being named the 2019 Gatorade Rhode Island Football Player of the Year. Gatorade announced on Wednesday that Osmanski has become the fifth player from North Kingstown to earn the honor in the award's 35-year history.

Osmanski helped lead the Skippers to an 11-1 record with 3,353 combined yards passing and rushing. He was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player for the second time after scoring 15 touchdowns in three postseason games. He had two rushing and two passing TDs in a 28-19 victory against Cranston West in the Super Bowl.

Osmanski is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Award to be announced later this month.

As well as being an outstanding football player, Osmanski has volunteered for cancer research, has donated time selling Christmas trees for a local tree farm and has been a youth football coach. He has a weighted grade-point average of 3.46.

"James' toughness is, without question, the best in the state," said Jay Monteiro, head coach of East Providence High School. "The ability to see the field and make the right reads at QB is always tough for a high school athlete, and James makes it look easy and effortless."

Osmanski joins recent Gatorade Rhode Island Football Players of the Year Dylan Poirier (2018-19, North Kingstown High School), Will Such (2017-18, Cranston High School West), Kwity Paye (2016-17, Bishop Hendricken High School), Nick Andreozzi (2015-16, East Greenwich High School) and Alfred Dorbor (2014-15, St. Raphael Academy).

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 and field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. From the 12 national winners, one male and one female athlete are each named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year.

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