Per the website:
The Gatorade Player of the Year award was established in 1985 to recognize and celebrate the nation's most outstanding high school talents for their athletic achievement, academic excellence and exemplary character. Now in its third decade, the Gatorade Player of the Year award has become one of the most prestigious accolades in high school sports.
Also, you have to be nominated for it and there are deadlines when paperwork has to be submitted.
Still is a great award, and congrats to that young man. I'm sure he wasn't the only great player from DE that was nominated for the award.