The 2020-21 Gatorade Player of the Year boys soccer awards were announced Friday, honoring six of New England’s top high school players from this past fall season.
The Fall 2020 campaign was a remarkably unusual one across the region, as NEPSAC seasons didn't take place and only three of six states conducted championships. The dividing force was the COVID-19 pandemic and its heightened state before vaccines started becoming widely available.
With that framework, none of the six GPOY winners hailed from prep schools. In recent years, the Connecticut and Massachusetts GPOY awards have been dominated by NEPSAC players.
State-by-state breakdowns can be found below, with five of the six players joining college soccer programs next fall. GPOY winners factor in athletic excellence, academic achievement and on/off-field character.