East's Dunbar earns top football honor
WAUSAU - Thomas Dunbar accounted for roughly 60 percent of the offensive touchdowns the Wausau East football team scored this fall, and nearly half of the Lumberjacks' receptions.
The wideout caught 47 passes for 750 yards and eight touchdowns this season and received one final honor on Friday morning at the Wausau Country Club.
Dunbar was the recipient of the Win Brockmeyer Award as the most outstanding senior football player in the greater Wausau area.
RELATED: Win Brockmeyer Award finalists named
RELATED: 'Passion' drives Newman Catholic player's recovery
Dunbar was selected from four finalists for the award and received a $2,000 scholarship, administered by the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin. The other finalists — Wausau West’s Paul Weise, Newman Catholic’s Nate Brill and D.C. Everest’s Kevin Sandoval — all received a $500 scholarship.
“I can’t really put it into words,” said Dunbar, who is interested in pursuing a major in the medical field in college. “There were four (former Brockmeyer winners) here who talked about how special of an award this is. I was up there (for the award) with three really great guys who I know personally … and it was just nice to be up there with them.”
The four student-athletes were nominated by their respective schools for their contributions both on and off the field and showing characteristics in four main areas of criteria of the award — aggressiveness, courage, physical development and sportsmanship.
A selection committee than selected the winner from the group of finalists.
The Win Brockmeyer Award, honoring the former legendary Wausau High School football coach has been held since 1996. Dunbar is the first Wausau East player to win the award since 2012, when Logan Taylor was the recipient.
“Tom lives what the award is about — great courage, great strength and an outstanding football player,” East football coach Tom Tourtillott said. “One of the things we don’t talk a lot about is him on the defensive side of the ball, but he was just a hitter. The reason he became a hitter and became the football player he was is because he worked hard in the weight room — there’s no doubt about it. He really is a class kid and his character is second to none.”
The other finalists also had a strong case for the award.
Brill, an offensive and defensive lineman for Newman Catholic, was noted for his determination. During his sophomore season he diagnosed with Trevor’s Disease,a bone development disorder which affects the joints and resulted in his knee dislocating during a game.
He underwent a four-hour surgery on his leg and went through six months of rehab. But was back on the Cardinals line in his junior season
“(A love of football) started in back in sixth grade when I talked to coach (Paul Michlig) and he let me down on the sidelines to be with the guys, be the ball boy and hang out with the team. That love of football only grew,” Brill said. “It has been a real big part of my life and this is a great accomplishment to say that I am part of this select group of people.”
Weise, a member of the Warriors offensive line the past three seasons and was a unanimous first-team selection to the all-Valley Football Assocation-North Division team this season. Weise, a three-sport athlete who is headed to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for baseball, said football has taught him some life lessons,
“There are so many values that you learn from football,” Weise said. “Not just football itself, but becoming a young man and learning the values to proceed in life.”
Sandoval did not play football until his sophomore year. He rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns on 196 carries this fall.
“I always loved football, but I never had really gotten into it. My sophomore year I decided to make the commitment, started playing, and I took off from there,” Sandoval said. “It was a lot of fun and I fell in love (with the game).”
Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @timmyjo11
WIN BROCKMEYER AWARD WINNERS
2016-Thomas Dunbar, Wausau East. 2015-Stephen Paoli, D.C. Everest. 2014-Jake Whalen, Wausau West. 2013-Cole Radloff, Wausau West. 2012-Logan Taylor, Wausau East. 2011-Brandon Luedtke, Wausau East. 2010-Matiah Fischer, Wausau West. 2009-Tyler Day, Wausau West. 2008-Anthony Fischer, Newman Catholic. 2007-Tyler Utecht, Wausau West. 2006-Joe Gallion, Wausau East. 2005-Ben Fischer, Wausau East. 2004-Jordan Hein, Wausau West. 2003-Andy Crooks, Wausau East. 2002-Bradley Block, Wausau East. 2001-Mark Zalewski, Wausau East. 2000-Jonthaon Wanta, D.C. Everest. 1999-Bounthavy Khamratthanome, Wausau West. 1998-Derek Abney, D.C. Everest. 1997-Heath Novitzke, D.C. Everest. 1996-Timothy Freiberg, Wausau West.