The winner of the highly anticipated Gatorade Football Player of the Year (POY) Award for Wyoming was recently announced on December 3rd. Several players across the state offered contending resumes, adding extra anticipation to 2025’s selection.
“The most prestigious award in high school sports,” as tagged on the Gatorade website.
Wyoming’s 2025 recipient: Beck Haswell, senior, Sheridan High School.
The defensive lineman was a nightmare for opposing offenses throughout his career at Sheridan. The senior collected 41 total tackles, with six sacks and 10 more tackles for loss.
“Beck brings relentless hustle to the ball and he’s one of the most talented players I’ve coached in 29 years. Opponents consistently ran away from his side of the field and repeatedly tried to double-team him in their pass-protection schemes,” assistant coach Wendell Smith told Gatorade.
Haswell was a member of the Sheridan Bronc football program, who recently won their fifth consecutive 4A State Championship on November 15th. The senior never experienced a loss in his career, as the Broncs are currently on a 55-game winning streak.
Haswell joins a prestigious list of Sheridan High School players who have won the Gatorade POY Award, including recent selections Dane Steel (2024), Colson Coon (2023, 2022), Garrett Coon (2020), Paul Christensen (2019), and Coy Steel (2017).
Like any deserving Gatorade POY, Haswell had a substantial impact – not just on defense – on both sides of the ball.
Haswell leveraged his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame to play a variety of positions in Sheridan’s offense. He rushed for 23 yards/game and six touchdowns; threw the ball for 15 yards/game and three touchdowns (including some crucial wildcat-QB snaps in the 4A Title Game); and also caught 12 balls for two touchdowns over the season.
“He’s an incredible blocker and dynamic receiver, and his versatility on offense made him a threat to score every time he touched the ball. As our Wildcat QB, he struck fear into the hearts of opposing defenses,” said Smith.
In a statement made by the Gatorade POY Selection Committee, they praised the standout-DE’s ability to make plays on the offensive side:
“Employed as a ‘Swiss-Army knife’ by Sheridan’s coaching staff, Haswell compiled 583 rushing, receiving and passing yards and scored eight touchdowns. [Haswell is] the state’s No. 1 recruit as rated by 247 Sports, a two-time Super 25 Team selection, and the 2025 4A Lineman of the Year …”
Listed as a DE/TE, Haswell caught the attention of the Cowboy coaching staff at University of Wyoming (UW). Two weeks after his fourth-championship victory at War Memorial Stadium, the senior made a formal commitment to wear Brown and Gold next season in Laramie.
Beck will join his older brother, Alex, as a member of the Cowboys next season. Alex, a redshirt-freshman, recently transitioned from the offensive line to defensive line, opening the door for two-Haswell’s on UW’s defensive front.