Kaubris one of the Fitzy finalists

RUMFORD -- The winner of the 40th James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy will be a quarterback and Cam Kaubris is in the running.

The Mountain Valley standout has been voted as one of three finalists, which is awarded to the top senior football player in the state. Scholarship and citizenship also are considered.

Kaubris is the third straight player from the River Valley to be considered for this prestigious award. Former Falcon Justin Staires and Nick Crutchfield of Dirigo were finalists in 2008 and 2009, respectively. In 1971, Marty Milligan of Rumford won the second-ever Fitzpatrick Trophy.

“It’s quite an honor to play for and go to school in RSU 10,” said Kaubris. “Mountain Valley, Dirigo and Buckfield have produced some excellent student-athletes over the past few years. I’m glad that I could carry on the tradition. To have my name mentioned in the same sentence as Justin Staires and Nic

Crutchfield is a high distinction.”

The other finalists are Jamie Ross of Deering and Peter Gwilym of Cheverus. The winner will be announced at the banquet, January 16 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.

Gwilym and Kaubris led their teams to 12-0 records, winning state titles last month at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

“Cam had a great season for us,” said MV coach Jim Aylward. “His leadership and understanding of the game were pivotal for us this year. Defensively (11 interceptions), he was a top notch cover guy. Offensively, he ran the offense to perfection and was very patient while we developed an offensive identity."

Kaubris threw 10 touchdown passes and rushed for eight more. Kaubris was the quarterback on the ’08 state championship team.

He faced adversity after dealing with a shoulder injury last year, so being considered for this award wasn't envisioned.

“I never thought I’d play at the level I was at before,” said Kaubris. “With countless days of help from Aaron Perreault (school trainer), I was able to return to form.”

“Being sidelined was just added motivation for him this year,” said his father, Matt Kaubris. “He was also fortunate to have such wonderful teammates and coaches. It was already a dream football season for Cam and this honor just really caps it off.”

Cam acknowledged this honor couldn't have been done without teammates and coaches. The success and confidence has carried over from football to basketball.

“We aren’t going to settle for a long honeymoon period,” said Cam. “The conditioning and the concept of the two sports are completely different. For basketball, we still have a lot of work, but the start has been more than encouraging.”