The Williston Northampton football team has a proud tradition of Frank L. Boyden Award winners, and our esteemed list grew by one this year, as senior James Elliot was selected for the 2023 honor by the Western Massachusetts chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Named in honor of the longtime Deerfield Academy head of school, the award is given for outstanding achievement both on the field and in the classroom by a preparatory school player—and Elliot has indeed excelled both on and off the field as a Wildcat.
On the gridiron, Elliot was a team captain this past season, and earned all-league and all-NEPSAC Class A honors during both his junior and senior seasons. A three-way player that excelled in all facets of the game, Elliot found the most success as a wide receiver. He set the school record for most receptions in a season as a junior and then rebroke it his senior year catching 65 passes in nine games. All told, during his last three years, he caught 163 passes for an incredible 2,214 yards. He set the school single season and career records for touchdown receptions with 14 as a senior and 29 in his career. During the reception honoring the award, it was said of Elliot: “Beyond his playing exploits, what made this year’s recipient exceptional is his combination of unselfishness, dependability, toughness and intelligence. All great leaders, his work ethic and example are the bedrock of his outstanding success as a leader.”
Elliot’s success didn’t end with football, though. Academically, Elliot has been a high honors student during each trimester he’s been at Williston, and has taken multiple AP and high honors courses. Much like his coaches on the field, Elliot’s teachers point to his leadership and achievement in the classroom as exceptional.
In total, Elliot earned 13 varsity letters in his Williston career, across football (5), basketball (4), and baseball (4). Elliot has committed to play football for Dartmouth College next year, in the Ivy League. Ethan Hebb ’22 was the last Wildcat to win the award.
Additionally, the Western Mass. chapter of the NFF also recognized Mark Conroy, the school’s longtime Athletic Director who is retiring at the end of the 2023-24 academic year, for his decades of service to the organization. Conroy was given a special memento for his 24 years working on the chapter’s executive board.