Hightstown’s Elhossieni, Robbinsville’s Leigh are among top DelVal scholars
Robbinsville and Hightstown high schools are separated by about seven miles of torturous traffic lights on Route 130, but they are connected by the fact that each of their football teams feature players with a desire to succeed on the field and in the classroom.
And because of those admirable traits, the Ravens Sebastian Leigh and the Rams Yasin Elhossieni are their schools’ respective honorees at the 62nd Annual George Wah ScholarLeader-Athlete Dinner, sponsored by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
This year’s event is dedicated to the memory of Steve Gazdek, the former Athletic Director at Hamilton West and Steinert, and a Chapter Board Member.
The dinner is March 10 and begins at 2 p.m. at Princeton Marriott at Forrestal. Scholarleader-athletes from 20 schools in Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties are being honored with $1,000 scholarships. For dinner/ticket information contact Steve Tuckerson at 609-202-4166 or email delval.nffhf@gmail.com.
Several honorees will also receive additional scholarship awards, which will be announced the night of the dinner. They are the Jack Stephan Scholarship ($5,000), Steve Gazdek Chapter Scholarship ($4,000), Ron Rick Sr. Scholarship ($3,000), Ed Cook Scholarship ($2,000) and Ed “Windy” Morris Scholarship ($1,500).
Other Scholar-Leader-Athlete seniors being honored are Allentown’s Luke Wiedau, Bordentown’s Myles Hansford, Ewing’s Tyler Seaton, Hamilton West’s Connor Mooney, Florence’s John Paul Dunphy, Hun’s Dillon Bucchere, Lawrence’s Jaiveer Sunda, Lawrenceville’s Jack Rice, New Egypt’s Carter Hughes, Nottingham’s Antonio Martinez, Peddie’s Jackson Boone, Pennington’s John Thomas Shamsey, Princeton’s Evan Pease, Steinert’s Michael Rizzo, Trenton’s Damon Jennings, West Windsor-Plainsboro’s Ryan Beske, Notre Dame’s Jack Beacham and Hopewell Valley’s Nate Tewell.
Elhosseini is a gifted athlete who excels at football, basketball and track & field but it is on the gridiron where he truly made his name. A three-year varsity starter and captain his senior year, Yasin was a twotime All-Division defensive back at strong safety and Offensive Player of the Year as a junior. He earned team MVP honors as a senior after garnering 58 total tackles (five for loss), five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, three interceptions and two defensive touchdowns in a game with Allentown. Offensively he amassed 528 yards and six TDs.
“During the last three-plus years I have had the pleasure of building a positive rapport with this outstanding young man,” Hightstown coach Ryan Fullen said. “Yasin prides himself on being an absolute joy to coach as well as an outstanding leader in his everyday life. He is the epitome of what we want from a student-athlete in our football program. He is intelligent, compassionate in his charitable efforts, and a darn good football player.”
Elhossieni is still shopping for a college program but academically should have no problem as he holds a 3.8 grade point average while taking honors courses. As a senior Yasin is a member of the National Honor Society, Peer Group Connection and Athletic Leadership Council, and has been on the honor roll as a freshman, junior and senior.
When he’s not working at his parents’ pizza shop, Elhossieni is a member of Hightstown’s Red Cross Club, Chess Club and RISE Foundation; while also volunteering for community events.
“Yasin has excelled in challenging coursework, consistently earning high grades and demonstrating a commitment to academic excellence,” Hightstown Health & Physical Education teacher Katharine Lindacher said. “His ability to balance the demands of a rigorous academic curriculum with the time-intensive commitments of a varsity athlete is truly commendable. He has proven himself to be a dedicated student who takes his studies seriously, setting a high standard for his peers both in and out of the classroom.
“As a member of our Peer Group Connection program, he has shown exceptional interpersonal skills, empathy and a genuine desire to support his fellow students. His contributions to the program have had a positive impact on the school community, fostering a sense of camaraderie and support among students.”
Much like Elhossieni, Leigh is a versatile athlete who plays football and basketball. A fouryear varsity starter in football and a senior captain, he had a standout senior year at defensive end and offensive tackle/ guard. Sebastian made 72 tackles and had five sacks with one fumble recovery, making firstteam All-Valley on both sides of the ball.
“A true leader’s utmost concern focuses on how their actions and sacrifices may benefit those in their charge,” Ravens football coach Andrew Patterson said. “Leaders humbly complete necessary but unpopular tasks, commit significant time and energy with no hard guarantee of tangible compensation, and maintain their attention and energy tasks and goals in the face of distraction and doubt. In my two-and-a-half decades as a classroom educator and football coach, I have met few young leaders who embody these virtues more intrinsically than Sebastian Leigh.
“Sebby’s mere presence elevated the level of commitment and energy of everyone else on the field. His willingness to outwork any and all competitors, without regard for recognition, fame, or rewards was unmatched. In what is becoming a seemingly lost art in scholastic athletics, Sebastian’s physical ability and work ethic is outmatched only by his humility; he wants his teammates to find more success than he has and will assist them in achieving it.”
As for his own achievements off the field, Leigh has a 4.4 weighted grade point average while taking numerous honors and advanced placement classes. He is a National Honor Society member and Senior Class Treasurer this year, and has been Black Culture Club Treasurer the past three years.
He is also a member of the Chess Club and Agricultural Club, while having been a yearbook photographer for three years. Sebastian serves as a high school mentor and ambassador for youth sports camps and religious endeavors and “is omnipresent in our school community,” according to Patterson.
“Sebastian has demonstrated remarkable leadership skills within the classroom as many of his peers look up to him, setting positive examples on and off the field,” Robbinsville Biology Teacher Dan Genovese said. “His leadership style emphasizes accountability, effective communication and strong integrity, all of which he demonstrates daily within the classroom.
“Beyond his academic and extracurricular achievements, Sebastian’s personal growth mindset, combined with his compassion, support and enthusiasm, contribute significantly to the positive atmosphere within our school community.”