Peddie’s McHugh, Pennington’s Muscara to be honored as scholars
• Nottingham’s Brandon Raba is our Player of the Year • All-CVC, Area and Prep picks inside >> Pages 28-29
Throughout their time at Peddie and Pennington, the Falcons’ Aidan McHugh and the Red Raiders’ Nicholas Muscara represented their school on and off the field.
Because of the special ability and character, both have been selected as their school’s honoree at the 59th Annual George Wah Scholar Leader-Athlete Awards Event.
The Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation Awards Event will be enjoyed in a very different manner this year due to the current pandemic.
This year the athletes and other honorees will be recorded at the Princeton Marriott on March 21 and then the event will be streamed on April 25.
The other high school scholar-athletes that will be recognized and will receive a $1,000.00 scholarship are, Daniel Poinsett (Bordentown), Thomas P. Hurley (Florence), Michael Nielsen (Hamilton West), Kyle Madden (Hightstown), Thomas Belsky (Hopewell Valley), Kelvin Smith (Hun), Rohan Dash (Lawrence), Drew Friedman (Lawrenceville), Jonny Percodani (New Egypt), Austin McHugh (North Hunterdon), Evan Tritt (Notre Dame), Elijah Baldwin (Nottingham), Dylan Angelucci (Princeton), Michael Surtz (Robbinsville), Deklin Smith (Steinert), Devin Hairston (Trenton) and Moses Harris (West Windsor-Plainsboro Schools).
The adult award winners are national broadcaster and Phillies TV voice Tom McCarthy (Robert F. Casciola Distinguished American),
Rick Mantz (George O’Gorman Contribution to Amateur Football), Andrew Patterson, Robbinsville High School (Hank Johns Coach Award), Justin Johnson, NJFOA, Central Jersey Chapter (Jack Millard Officials Award), Harrison Kertes, Bordentown Bulldog Youth Football (Delaware Valley Chapter Little Scholar), David Wardell, Special Olympics of New Jersey (Eunice Kennedy Shriver Champion Award) and Andrew Donoghue, The College of New Jersey quarterback (TCNJ Earl H. Dean Scholar-Leader Athlete).
Peddie didn’t play football this past fall, but that didn’t prevent McHugh, who was the team captain, from showing his leadership dedication to the team.
“Not having football could have been Aidan’s excuse to forget about football and focus on other areas within the Peddie community,’’ said Peddie coach Patrick Loughlin. “He instead decided that he would serve as a leader for this team. Aidan did this to perfection,
pushing the team to work hard and compete, while also bringing along the younger players within the program. He was the ultimate captain, helping to shape the culture of the Peddie football team for the future. I am in gratitude for his efforts this past fall. He did not have to be out there every day at practice, as football was giving him so little back. This was a test of character that Aidan aced. When everything seemed so negative, his last opportunity to play high school football so abruptly taken away, he turned it into a positive. He left a legacy on the program, setting Peddie football up for success in the future.’’
It’s certainly a bright future as some of the off-the-field interests of McHugh are poetry and art, and he had a thirst for as much knowledge as he can absorb.
“Aidan’s leadership has set a positive tone and culture in the dormitory,’’ said Erik Treese, of the Department of History. “Not afraid to confront his
peers when they forget to wear masks or social distance, Aidan has shown the ability to do what is right even when it is uncomfortable. Yet, he has also organized socially distanced cookouts and marshmallow roasts in order to build community in the dormitory. That he is willing and able to do this while also focusing on his athletics, his art, and his schoolwork is a testament to his commitment to his school, his peers, and his desire to make this the best year possible, even with the challenge of the pandemic.’’
Nicholas Muscara has been a football player at Pennington for four years. He ran winter track and he also excelled off the field has well.
“In class Nick is an actively engaged student, participating in class discussions and taking a leadership role in group activities,’’ Ryan Vogt, a Science teacher, said. “He is always willing to share his thoughts and approach to a situation with his peers, and attentively taking others’ views into account. As we progressed through the year and the Physics content got more complex, Nick demonstrated his grit and capability for growth as a learner. If he didn’t understand a concept on an assessment he would make sure to go back, reflect on his process, and determine what he needed to do to master it moving forward. This willingness to respond to challenges and learn from mistakes was a key factor in his continued success in Physics. It continues to serve him well in Astronomy and I am confident that it will lead to success in his college endeavors.’’
His accomplishments on the field have been quite impressive on the offensive and defensive line and he definitely caught the eye of Pennington coach Jerry Eure.
“Nick is no doubt one of the finest young student-athletes that I have had the pleasure of coaching over the last decade,’’ said Eure. “The best way to describe Nick is reliable, consistent, and hardworking. When you combine those qualities with his leadership ability, you get a great lineman on the football field. Nick has been starting both ways on the line for the last four years. As a freshman, we felt that he had the strength, intelligence, and toughness to play this important position. Well, he was better than we even expected. He was no doubt one of our most consistent lineman in the last four years. Nick has an outstanding character and a mature attitude that was a positive influence on our team. The younger players really looked up to Nick for guidance and direction.’’