Concord quarterback wins $40,000 scholarship

Concord High quarterback B.J. Beecher was named the first recipient of the Charlotte Touchdown Club’s Michael A. Kahn Scholarship.

The $40,000 scholarship, named after the owner/CEO of the Charlotte Checkers, celebrates community service as well as academic and athletic accomplishments.

Beecher is a four-year starter at Concord, having taken over at quarterback for the Spiders midway through his freshman year. That season, he led an 0-6 team to six consecutive wins and a trip to the second round of the state playoffs.

Beecher, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound senior, threw for 2,606 yards and 32 touchdowns as a sophomore to lead Concord to a 9-5 season. He followed that up with 2,957 yards and 32 scores for the 10-4 Spiders last year.

He has thrown for 3,786 yards and 48 touchdowns this season, making him only the third player in North Carolina high school football history to amass 10,000 career passing yards. Independence’s Chris Leak (15,593) and Burlington Cummings’ Ernest Tinnen (10,836) are the other two.

Beecher, who also plays basketball and tennis at Concord, maintains a 3.3 grade-point average while also being involved in his school’s Young Life organization. As a junior, he traveled to the Dominican Republic as part of a medical mission team.

Concord (13-2) will play in the 3A state football championship Saturday against Havelock in Winston-Salem.

Spider coach Glen Padgett told the Observer that Beecher will be a game-time decision for Saturday's game after injuring his right thumb - on his throwing hand - in the second quarter of the 3A semifinal against Morganton Freedom.