The Butler Eagle Scoring Trophy gained some tradition early in its existence.

It's gained history and prestige since then.

Only 17 names are on the trophy, which has been awarded annually since 1990 to the high school housing the football player leading the Butler County area in scoring that season.

That school keeps the trophy for a year before it moves on to the next winner.

Freeport was home to the first three Eagle Scoring Trophy winners. Brian Kurn was an all-state running back for the Yellowjackets when he won the initial award in 1990.

Ron DeJidas became the trophy's first two-time winner, keeping it in Freeport for the 1991 and 1992 campaigns.

"We didn't think about it much back then, not while we were playing, anyway," DeJidas said. "It was a nice award to win at the end of the year.

"We were products of the system. There were a lot of good players around us who enabled the tailback to excel."

DeJidas went on to letter four years at Clarion University. He stands second on the Golden Eagles' single-season rushing list with 1,231 yards, and is fifth on Clarion's all-time rushing and touchdown list with 2,286 yards and 19 TDs.

He played for the 1996 Clarion team that reached the NCAA Division II semifinals.

"The (Eagle) trophy, we considered it more of a team honor," DeJidas said. "Only one name goes on the trophy, but the linemen, fullback, even the wide receivers who spring you for the long runs, had a lot to do with it.

"Plenty goes into a high school team being able to run the football."

Here are a few notes concerning the Eagle Scoring Trophy's history:

• DeJidas, Mike Leach of A-C Valley, Josh Fiscus of Karns City and Bill Bair of Mars are the only players to win the trophy twice.

• Karns City has won the award six times — Fiscus (twice), Rick Belles, Jeremy Scherer, Bill Graham and Matt Carnahan.

• Bair (204 points in 2007) is the only winner to score 200 points in a season.

• Belles (1993) scored the fewest points — 84 — to win the trophy.

• Slippery Rock quarterback Jono Powell (2008) is the only non-running back to win it.

• Five area schools — Butler, Seneca Valley, Knoch, Grove City and Summit Academy — have yet to win the trophy.

Grove City could take itself off that list this year. Jamarr Patterson scored 10 touchdowns for the Eagles last season and is the second-highest returning scorer in 2010.

Mars running back Austin Miele rushed for 1,184 yards and 11 TDs in 2009 and is the area's top returning scorer.

Seneca Valley quarterback Donny Holl rushed for nine TDs a season ago, as did Grove City sophomore running back Wesley Phipps.

James Shope became the first Moniteau player to win the Eagle Scoring Trophy last season.

"There are names of a lot of great backs on this trophy," Moniteau coach Jeff Campbell said after Shope won it. "Once your name goes on there, it's on there forever."

Powell rushed for 1,247 yards and threw for 1,188, winning the trophy in 2008.

"I used to look at other quarterbacks running for 100 yards in a game and wonder how they did that," Powell said after that season. "I never thought I would be one of them someday."

When Mars' Paul Ferrese won the trophy in 2005, he became the first WPIAL player to do so since DeJidas in 1992.

He credited his offensive line for his success.

"Those guys opened a lot of holes for me," Ferrese said after that season.

Paydirt can pay off with the Eagle Scoring Trophy taking up residence at your school.

Where is it headed this year?

Stay tuned.

<B>Year - Winner, (School) - Pts.</B>1990 - Brian Kurn, (Freeport) - 1041991 - Ron DeJidas, (Freeport) - 1141992 - Ron DeJidas, (Freeport) - 1581993 - Rick Belles, (Karns City) - 801994 - Cory Hooks, (Union) - 1181995 - Jeremy Scherer, (Karns City) - 841996 - Jason Hackwelder, (A-C Valley) - 1321997 - Steve Spiker, (A-C Valley) - 1241998 - Mike Leach, (A-C Valley) - 1461999 - Mike Leach, (A-C Valley) - 1982000 - Josh Kniess, (Slippery Rock) - 1922001 - Billy Graham, (Karns City) - 1862002 - Matt Carnahan, (Karns City) - 1522003 - Josh Fiscus, (Karns City) - 116Tie - Travis Sarver, (Slippery Rock) - 1162004 - Josh Fiscus, (Karns City) - 942005 - Paul Ferrese, (Mars) - 962006 - Bill Bair, (Mars) - 1502007 - Bill Bair, (Mars) 2042008 - Jono Powell, (Slippery Rock) 1022009 - James Shope, (Moniteau) 136