Nottingham’s Baldwin, Steinert’s Smith are next scholars up
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Over the years, the rivalry between Steinert and Nottingham has been one that always brought out the best in both programs.
Two of the best from each school, Deklin Smith, of Steinert, and Elijah Baldwin, of Nottingham, have been selected as their school’s honoree’s at the 59th Annual George Wah Scholar LeaderAthlete Awards Event.
The Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation Awards Dinner 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 21st and then the event will be streamed on April 25th.
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), Aidan McHugh (Peddie), Nicholas Muscara (Pennington), Dylan Angelucci (Princeton), Michael Surtz (Robbinsville), Dan Merkel (Allentown), Devin Hairston (Trenton) and Moses Harris (West WindsorPlainsboro 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 ScholarLeader Athlete).
Smith has been a four-year member of the Spartans football program and this is senior year he served as a captain. He was selected to the All-Area Defensive and a 12rth Man Unsung Hero.
Coupled with this pandemic, tragedy struck the Spartans program with the loss of a teammate and friend, yet through the pain and personal loss Smith continued to be there for his teammates.
“On the football field, in addition to being a fierce competitor, his presence is similar to having another coach on the field,” said Steinert coach Dan Caruso. “Deklin is always willing and eager to help younger players to better understand the game. Beyond this, he is the type of young man that the other players look up to, not only on the field, but in his personal life as well. It is for all these reasons that Deklin was voted to be a captain of the football team by his peers. Deklin led by example not by screaming and yelling. He helped set up the field every day, he cleaned up and help break down the field every day, he organized the sanitation of equipment. He did not expect someone to do this work for him nor did he order others to do it. Deklin truly embodied what being a captain is all about. A captain like Deklin leads, he doesn’t bark orders. Deklin’s dedication to his team and school is unquestionable.”
Smith is just as dedicated in the classroom with a 4.5 grade point average. He is a member of the National Honor Society. He is the senior class Vice-President and a Peer Leader.
He volunteers at Holy Apostles Church and at th4 Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
Deklin is a strong student, extremely focused and determined,” said English teacher Rick Freeman. “He is a valuable class member in that he always adds pertinent information to every discussion and enthusiastically commits himself to every task. Deklin is hard-working, reliable and energetic, and his grades in my class and throughout his time at Steinert reflect that commitment to excellence. He is a stellar student in terms of writing talent, the ability to understand the readings and prompts to which he is responding, and he always provides thoughtprovoking essays.”
Down Klockner Road at bit Eli Baldwin has also gone above and beyond on the football field and in the classroom at Nottingham
Baldwin has a 3.74 grade point average and he has been a four-year honor student.
Eli is the type of young man who will be missed here at Nottingham,” said Andrew Pursell, Math teacher. “He has been a great example of what a student and an athlete should be in school. He leads in the classroom and on the field by showing a great example of expectations. I know he will be successful in whatever field he chooses in college and in his post-graduation career. I can’t say enough good things about him.”
A hard worker on and off the field Baldwin has begun tutoring students in his AP Statistics class.
He is a member of the Peer Leader, a member of the baseball and track teams and Baldwin has been with the Hamilton N.E.W.S., which is joint group comprised of all three Township high schools that work together to better the community as a whole.
The starting center on the football team it was his leadership and work ethic that made Baldwin a leader by example.
“During his time in our program he has demonstrated strong leadership skills and a wonderful work ethic that was unmatched by anyone on our team,” said Nottingham coach Milo McGuire. “He has a strong set of values he learned from his family. His character has never been a question and is a role model for his teammates and peers. Eli is an unselfish teammate and a high-character young person. Moreover, I feel Eli has always been a positive influence on the younger members of our programs.”
A couple of pretty impressive young men in that stretch of Klockner Road.