Max Cavana of Catholic High School named 2022-23 Gatorade Louisiana Boys Soccer Player of the Year

CHICAGO (June 16, 2023) — In its 38^th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Max Cavana of Catholic High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Louisiana Boys Soccer Player of the Year. Cavana is the first Gatorade Louisiana Boys Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Catholic High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Cavana as Louisiana’s best high school boys soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in June, Cavana joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Ben Bender (2019-20, Calvert Hall College High School, Md.), Jacob Shaffelburg (2017-18, Berkshire School, Mass.), Jack Harrison (2013-14, Berkshire School, Mass.) and Steve Cherundolo (1996-97, Mt. Carmel High School, Calif.).

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior defensive center midfielder scored 14 goals and passed for five assists this past season, leading the Bears (13-2-3) to the Division I state quarterfinals. The District I-4 Most Valuable Player, Cavana spearheaded a defense that allowed just six goals. He is two-time Louisiana Soccer Coaches All-State Best XI selection.

The co-owner of a lawn care business with about 30 clients, Cavana has volunteered locally with Habitat for Humanity. Also a member of his school’s Student Council, he has also donated his time as a youth swim and volleyball coach. “Max played in a deep, lying role for CHS and was the primary cog in Catholic’s well-oiled possession machine,” said Miller Hilliard, head coach of Denham Springs High School. “Cavana won just about everything through the middle and was physically imposing.”

Cavana has maintained a weighted 4.08 GPA in the classroom. He will attend Louisiana State University this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

Cavana joins recent Gatorade Louisiana Boys Soccer Players of the Year Charlie Garrison (2021-22, University Laboratory School), Jourdan Schumacher (2020-21, The Willow School), Zayne Zezulka (2019-20, Dutchtown High School), and Conner Walmsley (2018-19, St. Paul’s School), among the state’s list of former award winners.

Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.

For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade