WDHS 2011-12 Male Athlete Of The Year Nominees

Boys’ sports teams at racked up the championships over the last eight months. From football to wrestling to golf, great team and individual performances abounded.

Today, we take a look at the best individual performers. Narrowing a year’s worth of talented athletes down to just four was not easy and picking a sole winner from the group will be even tougher.

Below is a brief description of the four finalists. Feel free to add your input or choice in the comments section.

Gerald (Towns) Owens: It’s hard to imagine that the West Deptford football team would have reached the heights it did if not for the tremendous production from Owens. After starting the season as part of a deep committee, Owens broke out from the pack and produced a 1,500 yard season that helped guide the Eagles to a Group 2 title. he ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns.

Owens also returned to the wrestling mat after a year off and was beyond good, posting a 31-8 record and , mostly from the 220-pound weight class. He helped the Eagles win the conference title.

Tom Jakubowski: A three-sport athlete, Jakubowski racked up both statistics and honors. He led the football team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, earning First-Team All-Conference and Second Team All-South Jersey honors. As a safety, he had two interceptions in .

In the winter Jakubowski led the basketball team in scoring, along the way.

In the spring, Jakubowski did a little bit of everything on the baseball diamond. He batted everywhere from the middle of the order to the top of the order and was the most feared hitter in the lineup. early in the season and was selected to the Carpenter Cup.

Kevin Brockway: The backline of defense for the boys’ soccer team,
Brockway posted nine shutouts last fall, including a string of four-straight midway through the season. He allowed more than two goals just twice over 20 games.

Brockway was also the unquestioned ace of the boys’ golf team during the spring. As the team’s consistent low scorer, he helped the Eagles claim a share of the conference title. , shot an 83 at the Carl Arena/Rifkin Tournament and shot a 79 at the Gloucester County Tournament.

Rory Bonner: Winning 50 matches in a season and are accomplishments enough to make this list. But Bonner’s achievements reached a higher level when he was named an All-American at the 182-pound weight class.

The West Deptford junior headed down to Virginia Beach to take on the best from around the country in the National High School Coaches Association’s junior nationals at the end of March, .