DC TOUCHDOWN CLUB PRESENTED BY CAPITAL BANK N.A. ANNOUNCES LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AWARD WINNERS

The DC Touchdown Club presented by Capital Bank N.A. is excited to announce the local slate of award winners for its sixth annual 3M Awards Dinner, which will be held on Thursday, April 12, in Bethesda, Md. once again will showcase the best and brightest players in the region.

The group is headlined by University of Maryland wide receiver DJ Moore, who this past season was named the Big Ten Conference Receiver of the Year and is expected to be selected in the upcoming NFL Draft. Moore will receive the Washington Metro College Player of the Year award.

Moore will be joined by three of the Washington-area’s top high school prospects:

· Wise wide receiver and defensive back AJ Lytton, a Florida State recruit, is the Maryland High School Player of the Year.

· St. John’s quarterback Kevin Doyle, a Michigan recruit, is the D.C. High School Player of the Year.

· Hylton running back Ricky Slade, a Penn State recruit, is the Virginia High School Player of the Year.

Westfield’s Kyle Simmons is the Washington Metro Coach of the Year after guiding the Bulldogs to their third consecutive Virginia 6A championship, becoming the first team in the commonwealth since the 1950s to win three consecutive titles in the state’s largest classification.

“The D.C. area annually produces some of the top players in the nation and this year is no different,” DC Touchdown Club Executive Director Steve Beck said. “We are thrilled to honor DJ Moore as be begins the next step of his football journey. Our high school players of the year once again are a group of special people. And what Coach Kyle Simmons has accomplished at Westfield is simply amazing.”

Moore is the first wide receiver and the third Maryland player to win the Washington Metro College Player of the Year award. While Maryland struggled offensively this past season, Moore continued to produce. He set a school single-season record with 80 receptions for 1,033 yards and eight touchdowns.

The D.C. High School Player of the Year, Doyle transferred from the Philadelphia area to St. John’s for his senior season and he lived up to high expectations. Doyle passed for 22 touchdowns and was named The Washington Post’s All-Met Offensive Player of the Year as he led the Cadets to their first Washington Catholic league championship since 1989.

Lytton is the second consecutive Wise player to win the Maryland High School Player of the Year award. He was The Washington Post’s All-Met Defensive Player of the Year this past fall, continually making big plays on both sides of the ball as the Pumas increased their winning streak to 42 games with their third consecutive Maryland 4A undefeated championship season.

One of the nation’s most highly-regarded running backs, Slade was named the Virginia High School Player of the Year after rushing for 30 touchdowns this fall. He finished his incredible high school career with 5,540 yards rushing, 7,643 all-purpose yards and 89 touchdowns scored, plus the two touchdown passes he threw this past season.

Simmons was named the Washington Metro High School Coach of the Year after leading Westfield to a remarkable 15-0 season and Virginia 6A championship despite an inexperienced and youthful lineup. In seven seasons at the Chantilly school, Simmons has a career record of 89-10 with six district titles and the three state titles.

Tables and a limited number of individual tickets can be purchased at dctouchdownclub.com/awards-dinner. Sponsorship opportunities are also available by contacting Steve Beck at 301-370-5454 or sbeck@militarybowl.org. Proceeds benefit Patriot Point, the DC Bowl Committee’s retreat for recovering service members.