ROCHESTER – Rochester High School senior Hank Beatty was named Gatorade Illinois Football Player of the Year on Tuesday. 

Beatty played both quarterback and wide receiver and led the Rockets (11-2) to the Class 4A state semifinals.  

Beatty, who is committed to University of Illinois as a wideout, completed 152 of 236 passing attempts for 1,899 yards and 23 touchdowns, which ranked second in the Central State Eight Conference. He sits atop the CS8 with 1,371 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on 146 carries and caught 22 receptions for 341 yards and two TDs.

He is the only player in CS8 history with more than 2,000 career yards passing (2,697), rushing (2,365) and receiving (2,923). No player in league history had previously finished his career with 1,000 yards in all three offensive categories. 

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Beatty also leaves as the all-time CS8 scoring leader with 440 points despite a shortened junior season. He additionally garnered Illinois High School Football Coaches Association all-state honors in Class 4A for the second consecutive season. 

“Hank Beatty is the most versatile athlete I’ve ever coached against,” Jacksonville coach and IHSFCA president Mark Grounds said in the press release. “He could be the best wide receiver in the state and he’s currently one of the best quarterbacks. He’s a complete game-changer, no matter where he is.” 

Beatty also maintained a 4.52 GPA, the press release said. 

Gatorade’s selection committee picks one student-athlete for each of the following 12 sports in every state and the District of Columbia: football, volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball and boys and girls track and field. These 608 state winners are nominees for national player of the year in their respective sport. 

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Beatty may award a $1,000 grant to a local or national sports organization through the company’s Play it Forward program and may vie for one of the dozen $10,000 spotlight grants, according to the press release. 

Contact Bill Welt: [email protected], Twitter.com/BillWelt