Lawrence’s Sheehy, ND’s Gonzales recognized as top DelVal Scholars
Over the years, the schools in Lawrence Township have produced some pretty good athletes, great students and individuals who have made the area proud, this year Lawrence’s Kyle Sheehy and Notre Dame’s William Gonzales fit the criteria.
The talented pair have been just as successful in the classroom and both have been selected as their school’s honoree’s at the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will be holding their 60th Annual George Wah Awards Dinner on Sunday, March 13, 2022, 4:00 p.m.
The Chapter will be honoring the top area scholar-athletes from the 2021 season at the Princeton Marriott at Forrestal, 100 College Road East in Princeton.
Tickets are $75 each. A full Table of 10 can be purchased by contacting Ron Hoehn before March 5th at annronhoehn@gmail.com or 609731-6610 to order Tickets for families, individuals or organizations.
The other high school scholar-athletes that will be recognized and will receive a $1,000.00 scholarship are; Jake DiBlasio (Allentown), Trotman Kerkes (Bordentown), Jarel McEwen (Ewing), Sam Gadie (Trenton), Brandon Makowski (Florence)Patrick McAuliffe (Hamilton West), Danny Wersching (Hightstown), Francesco Barone (Hun), Jake Lengle (Hopewell Valley), Gary Lewis (Lawrenceville), Nick Surdo (New Egypt), Tom Markovich (North Hunterdon), Kyle Sirimis (Nottingham), Jaden Wedderburn (Peddie), Max Gibbard (Pennington), John Petrone (Princeton), Matthew Vingara (Robbinsville), Chris Nodeland (Steinert), Shane Johnson (West Windsor-Plainsboro)
The adult award winners
are Ron Dilatush (Robert F. Casciola Distinguished American), Dominic Cuniglio III (Chapter Little Scholar), David M. Hoffman (Princeton University Scholar-Athlete), Reily S. Radosevich (Princeton University Scholar-Athlete), Steve Tuckerson (George O’Gorman Contribution to Amateur Football), Skip Edwards (Hank Johns Coach of the Year), Terrance Stokes (Jack Millard Officials Award), Michele Asher-Codding (Eunice Kennedy Shriver Champion Award), Merkle Cherry (Tony Persichilli Meritorious Service Award) and Mary Ellen Cassidy (Nick Gusz Good Guy Award).
Sheehy was the Cardinals most valuable player this season and was recognized by the coaches with the Iron Cardinal Award at the season’s end.
“Kyle exemplifies what a student-athlete is, he is an outstanding football player and an outstanding student,” said Lawrence football coach Rob Radice. “Kyle is one of the reasons why coaches love to
coach. He is a person who always puts the team first and leads by example. He always gives 100 percent in practice, games, and in school. He is very unselfish and always puts the team ahead of himself. “
It wasn’t just talent Sheehy brought to the field, it was also a strong character and understanding.
“He is the type of person you want your son to be like,” added Radice. “He is one of the most well-rounded student-athletes I have had the pleasure of teaching and coaching in my thirty-twoyear career. Character, outstanding work ethic, strong values, great leader, compassionate, committed, respectful toward others, are all just a few of the traits Kyle possesses.”
He also possesses an impressive 3.64 GPA and has excelled in the classroom and in the community, too.
“Always enthusiastic, Kyle continuously displays the qualities that make him a leader in the Lawrence High
School community,” said Anthony Ammirata, a former teacher of Sheehy’s and current Lawrence Athletic Director. “Composure, self-discipline and innovative thought are virtues that allow Kyle to capture the respect of his rivals and classmates alike. Kyle is a very mature student and is one of the few young men that “gets it.” He understands “big picture” concepts, is goal oriented and possesses the work ethic necessary to explore, discover and innovate.”
Gonzales did a little bit of everything for the Irish.
He caught 18 passes for 210 yards and four touchdowns, he had 36 tackles and an interception.
“Notre Dame has had success on the football field over the years and William has been a major part of that success,” said ND coach Sean Clancy. “On the field in 2021, William was a three-way starter, special teams standout, and tackling machine. William has always demonstrated commitment and leadership to Notre Dame
football and has never missed a practice, workout, or game. William leads because the role comes naturally to him, but not all-natural leaders put the needs of others first. William has demonstrated through football that he is always willing to put the other fellow first.”
He has a cumulative GPA of 93.700 and has a member of the National Honor Society since his sophomore year.
“When it comes to working collaboratively, I could always count on Will to make a valuable contribution,” said Cindy Bannon, of the English Department. “He is capable of leading a group, respectively sharing his opinion and listening to the opinion of others. He is a natural leader that can keep his team members on task and he has the respect of his peers because he leads by example and with energy and integrity.”
Both Sheehy and Gonzales are a credit to their respective schools, their coaches and their community.