Zach Maturo, a 2020 graduate of Bonny Eagle High, will play college basketball at UMaine-Farmington. He was a standout as a football and basketball player for the Scots. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

Twice during his senior year at Bonny Eagle High, Zach Maturo had to put on a suit and tie and attend a formal function as a finalist for a statewide award. Then he watched quietly and respectfully as someone else won football’s Fitzpatrick Trophy and the Mr. Maine Basketball award.

He didn’t outwardly sulk, or vent on social media. But he did want to win.

“That’s what I was going for, shooting to win both,” Maturo said this summer after committing to play basketball at the University of Maine-Farmington and graduating from Bonny Eagle with a 3.5 GPA. “At the start of football season, I was talking to my football coach about it. They said they were going to put me in the position to do that, and they did.”

Maturo is our choice as the 2019-20 Varsity Maine Male Athlete of the Year, a recognition of his excellence in two marquee team sports. He earned a reputation as an intense competitor with explosive athleticism who could take over a game.

“I like to promote my players and hype up my guys, but if you look at what he’s done on the football field and the basketball court, I don’t think there’s any question who the best male athlete is in state,” said Bonny Eagle basketball coach John Trull, who is also an assistant coach for the football team. “He’s a great kid, great athlete, great competitor.”

Bonny Eagle’s Zach Maturo rushed for 1,264 yards and scored 25 touchdowns last fall in leading the Scots to the Class A state title. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Maturo rushed for more than 1,200 yards, scored 25 touchdowns, starred as a cornerback, returned kicks and punts and also punted. He was the top dog on a driven team that wrestled the Class A title away from Thornton Academy, and he was named the Varsity Maine Football Player of the Year. But the Fitzpatrick Trophy went to Justin Bryant, the star fullback/linebacker for Class B champ Marshwood, ahead of Maturo and Scarborough’s Jarett Flaker.

“It was cool. They recognized the three best players in the state. So congrats to Bryant,” Maturo said that day.

As good as Maturo is as a football player, he is, in his own words, “a basketball kid.” A two-time Varsity Maine All-State selection, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound guard averaged 18.9 points, 5.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 80 percent from the free-throw line and 37 percent from behind the 3-point arc. He was known for his ability to create shots off the dribble and finish at the rim with a variety of shots.

But after leading Bonny Eagle to a surprise Class AA South championship as a junior, Maturo and the Scots took a step back this season, going 12-8 and losing to Thornton in the regional semifinals. That probably hurt his case in the Mr. Maine Basketball voting. Hampden Academy’s Bryce Lausier, who led his team to a Class A title, was chosen over Maturo and Greely’s Logan Bagshaw.

Now Maturo’s focus is on being the best he can be in college. He said he’s excited for the opportunity to team with former Portland High star Terion Moss in the Beavers’ backcourt for UMF’s new coach, Sam Leal.

“They were recruiting me throughout the year and I looked into it and visited; and knowing I have a good chance to play a lot next year with Terion and it was cheap, it was a good fit,” Maturo said.

This summer, Maturo is honing his game on outdoor courts, going against current and former college players. He proudly noted that on a recent June day, he and Moss teamed up and their team never lost.

“Yeah, I’m pretty competitive there,” Maturo said. “Honestly, it’s more competitive than some of the high school games. And there’s not really fouls there, so it gets really chippy. So it’s fun.”