One after another at the 64th Annual George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete Dinner, a Hamilton Township connection was being honored.
The dinner, sponsored by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, was held on March 8 to honor 19 area senior football players who excelled on the field, in the classroom and as a leader.
Players who received a $1,000 scholarship included Hamilton West’s Brody Hunt, Steinert’s Gabriel Peña Bak and Notre Dame’s Dom Cuniglio III, a township resident. Also cited were former Steinert standout and former Nottingham coach Jon Adams, who received the George O’Gorman Contribution to Amateur Football Award; and former Hamilton West star and long-time Nottingham assistant Bob Harris, who got the Nick Gusz “Good Guy” Award.
Hunt said of his achievement “It’s nice to know things I do off the field don’t go unnoticed and it means a lot to me to be surrounded with a great team and coaching staff that make everything else come easy.”
He was a two-way performer with 10 pass receptions on offense and 22 tackles on defense. Named one of West’s Unsung Heroes by the 12th Man TD Club, Hunt was usually selected as a game-week captain by the Hornet coaches.
In citing his biggest influences, Hunt felt it was teammate Matt Brescio, as well as Hornets coach Mike “The Meatball Master” Papero.
“Matt Brescio is a leader and motivates everyone else to play at a higher level,” Hunt said. “In the classroom my English teacher is Mr. Papero and he cares about his students and players and makes sure he gets them anything they need.”
With a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.5, Hunt received a Certificate of Achievement from West’s Academic Excellence Committee. He is part of Hamilton’s GALRE (Government Affairs) program and has earned rave reviews for a creative resume, where he noted that as a server at Brother’s Pizza he does things like “help customers navigate the menu.”
As for that menu navigation, he laughed and said, “I try to keep people entertained, it’s a part of the server job. You gotta get the best tips!”
Hunt plans on attending Mercer County Community College in the fall to study psychology and social work, and from there may transfer to “Rutgers or other places, I’m not too sure yet.”
In looking back on his proudest high school moment, he referred to his Senior Day effort against Robbinsville, where he made three catches for 45 yards, multiple tackles and two pass break-ups with his family in the crowd. “Definitely a game I’ll never forget,” he said.
It was a pretty unforgettable year for Bak, who helped Steinert to its best season in 10 years as a two-way lineman.
“It means a lot to be honored for not just my football skills, but my leadership and academic skills as well,” he said. “It’s a great reflection of all of the work I put in in all aspects of my life, and it reflects my values of living a balanced life. Obviously athletics is a big part of my life and has granted me a lot of wisdom, but there is more to life than just sports and I’m glad I can be recognized for my commitment to that.”
A team captain last fall, Bak was a three-year varsity starter and earned All-Conference Offensive Lineman honors his final two seasons. At last November’s Thanksgiving game he earned the Rich Fornaro Award as Steinert’s Most Valuable Player. Bak finished the campaign with 45 tackles and 4-½ sacks.
He aided Steinert in an 8-3 season and a state playoff win, their best campaign since 2015.
“It was really special to be a part of the football revival at Steinert,” he said. “I have to give a lot of credit to head coach Thaddeus Richards and all of the leaders before me, as they really set a new standard for the program and continued to raise it year after year. I’m honored to be considered a fundamental part of this, and I am confident the team will continue to push the limits.”
With a 4.8 weighted GPA, Bak is 19th in a senior class of 350. He is a two-time member of the National Honor Society; a recipient of the New Jersey Seal of Biliteracy (Spanish) and he earned Outstanding Academic Accomplishment honors for a third consecutive year.
In his “spare” time he belonged to the Math Club and Steinert’s Peer Leadership Program and was part of St. Gregory the Great’s Project Appalachia Service Trip. He has taken part in several projects to aid Hamilton.
“It feels great to be able to give back to my community,” he said. “Without them, I’d be nothing, and having the opportunity to help people less fortunate is one of the most fulfilling things you can do. When your efforts and hardships can put a smile on someone else’s face and make their day better, they feel seen and appreciated. Knowing it was your own actions that allowed for that happiness is awesome.”
Bak plans on attending the Honors College at Rutgers to study biochemistry on a pre-med track. He credits his teachers and mom as the biggest influences in his academics. On the field he was impacted by former Steinert lineman Jack Lambert, along with Spartan head coach Thaddeus Richards and defensive line coach Justin Vereb.
In reflecting on his high school career, Bak points to an intangible.
“I am proudest of the impact I’ve had on underclassmen that look up to me and strive to be ‘like me,’” he said. “When I was a freshman and sophomore, I would always look to the seniors for someone to model after and work to surpass.
“They don’t know it yet, but they will all be great in their own ways and look back with fondness that I gave them something to chase and motivate them to allow for their achievements. I am extremely proud and humbled to be able to consider myself a role model to the youngsters in their own unique paths to success.”
Cuniglio has had academic-athletic success in grammar school and high school. As an 8th-grader at Our Lady of Sorrows, he was named the George Wah Little Scholar, which goes to a youth player of achievement. Four years later he was back at the head table as Notre Dame’s winner.
“To be representing not only myself but all the people behind the scenes who worked hard for me, whether that be my coaches, specifically (former Irish) coach Sean Clancy; an incredible person,” he said. “I can’t even begin to describe just how much of an impact that man has had on me.”
Cuniglio was a two-year starter at center and a senior captain for the Irish. He earned the 12th Man TD Club’s Lineman of the Week award and West Jersey Football League first-team All-Division honors. Besides Clancy, he gave mom, dad and the Irish players a nod for their inspiration.
“My parents pushed me hard, they believe in me,” he said. “My teammates, the ones who either graduated or are still here, they also meant the world to me in encouraging me and pushing me to come back each day.”
Off the field, Cuniglio has a GPA of 95.4 (out of 100) and is a member of the National Honor Society and the Italian Honor Society. He also belongs to Notre Dame’s Catholic Athletes for Christ and Peer Leadership clubs. And in the mornings, he is the voice of ND’s daily announcements.
“Academics is something that’s always been with me; knowing that without academics, there really is no football,” he said. “So they go hand in hand. I’ve always been determined to push myself and keep growing, whether that’s aiming to get straight A’s on a report card or just trying to gradually become better in whatever class I’m in.”
Cuniglio’s next stop is Gettysburg College.
“The academics were at the forefront of my decision,” he said. “It’s definitely gonna set me up for a career wherever I go in the future. And being able to play football there (he was recruited as a center) is just a bonus.”
Adams excelled at Steinert and Glassboro State (now Rowan) before a 20-year career as Nottingham’s head coach, which included 13 state playoff appearances and a Central Jersey Group III title. He was also a Ewing High assistant for two years and served on the chain gang for Mercer games last fall.
His award encompasses more than just the schools he coached at. Adams was an integral part of every Mercer County Sunshine Classic All Star game, serving as an offensive coordinator eight times. From 1990 to the present, he has been a key figure at the 12th Man TD Club dinners, serving as president twice and host for the past seven years.
After an impressive career at Hamilton and Temple University, Harris was an assistant coach at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) for nine seasons, served as head coach at McCorristin High (now Thrive Charter) for nine seasons and has been a Nottingham assistant the past 23 seasons – most of them with Adams.
Wherever he went, Harris was known for his likeable personality as well as his football knowledge.
Both Adams and Harris gave kudos to each other while giving their speeches, adding further class to a night already filled with it.
Dom Cuniglio.,
