Brian Hales of David Butler High School in Matthews recently earned a prestigious national honor.

Hales was awarded the Xenith Coach of the Year Award recently at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl awards dinner in San Antonio, Texas, in conjunction with the high school all-star football game featuring the nation’s top players.

The Xenith Coach of the Year Award is designed to honor the nation’s top high school football coach. The recipient should display the greatest commitment to his players and his football program during the 2012 season.

Hales guided his Bulldogs to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-AA football championship in December as Butler rolled past Fayetteville Jack Britt by a score of 56-28, completing a perfect 15-0 season.

Another North Carolinian was a finalist for the U.S. Army-Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence. Melissa Macon of East Bladen High School was one of the 10 finalists for the awards. This program highlights top sophomore and junior athletes who exemplify similar strengths to Army Strong soldiers, who not only excel athletically but also academically and are active in their communities.

Pro football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen, the former Southern California star who played for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League, was the keynote speaker for the event.