It’s not easy to be a high school football player. To be successful, one has to work out year-round in the weight room and on the practice field. In-season there is barely time to breathe between practice, playing games and learning the playbook.
And then there is the reason they are in school – to learn. Some do, some don’t. And some go above and beyond to succeed on the field and in the classroom.
Hamilton Township has three such student-athletes who will be honored at this year’s George Wah Scholar-Leader-Athlete Dinner, sponsored by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The banquet is at the Princeton Marriott March 13. Tickets are available until March 5 by calling Ron at 609-731-6610.
Hamilton’s Patrick McAuliffe, Steinert’s Chris Nodeland and Nottingham’s Kyle Sirimis are their school’s honorees this year and, aside from the $1,000 scholarship they receive, they are eligible for three other scholarships up to $5,000. A fourth Hamiltonian being honored is Our Lady of Sorrows 8th-grader Dominic Cuniglio as the Little Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
It is an honor that indicates just how multidimensional an athlete can be, and it understandably has special meaning for the winners.
“This honestly means so much to me,” said Sirimis, who is deciding between four schools as to where he will major in Architectural Engineering. “It truly is an honor I was chosen to represent my school for such a great scholarship. It most definitely shows the characteristics of being a well-rounded individual, as it’s not easy to focus on performing at a high level on the field while maintaining that high level in the classroom.”
McAuliffe, with a weighted GPA of 4.65 and class ranking of 20 out of 299, will attend Gettysburg College to play football and major in economics.
“I am tremendously proud to win this award,” McAuliffe said. “It is an honor and privilege to be a part of this great group of student athletes. It also is nice to see all of the hard work pay off.”
Nodeland, who will attend Gwynedd Mercy University to play baseball and major in Sports Management, has a 4.5 weighted GPA and ranks 55th in a class of 365.
“It is a great honor to be recognized along with other recipients from schools across the state for both athletic and academic achievement,” Nodeland said. “I take pride in doing my best in the classroom and on the playing field.”
That is something Sirimis did to near-perfection during his final two years as Nottingham’s place kicker. He will not kick in college, but made his mark in high school.
The Mercerville resident made 26 of 32 extra points last fall and would have been more accurate were it not for a leg injury he had to kick through. As a junior Kyle converted on 16 of 17 PATs in an abbreviated season.
“If you were looking for courage, redemption and perseverance, then you were looking for Kyle Sirimis,” Nottingham coach Milo McGuire said. “It has not always been easy for Kyle, being that in his sophomore year he did not register a made extra point. But that only fueled his drive. Kyle became a force to be reckoned with, while displaying a determined work ethic that was unmatched by anyone on our team.”
The same could be said of his classroom work. Kyle has a weighted GPA of 4.6 and ranks eighth in a class of 249, as his only “blemish” was a B+ in Honors Algebra as a freshman. He’s a two-year member of the National Honor Society and has performed in numerous school plays while having the lead in Nottingham’s production of Grease this year.
Nottingham English and theater teacher Lauren Flaherty is also the school’s musical director and choreographer. She has taught Sirimis and directed him in the plays.
“I consider him to be one of the most talented, humble, promising students to come through our school in the 17 years I have been teaching,” Flaherty said. “During our time together Kyle has exhibited reliability, discipline, integrity, curiosity and intelligence. His self-discipline, leadership and work ethic are very impressive.”
Sirimis also runs track and is in numerous clubs and organizations, but somehow finds a way to keep the grades high.
“I thnk the key to maintaining both your studies and your athletics is motivation,” said Kyle who credits his mother as by far his biggest influence when it comes to maintaining classroom excellence. “In order to play every weekend for my team, we always had to keep up our grades and that alone should give you the drive to do your homework and study. Once motivation is lost, it is very hard to focus on something that you might not love as much as playing football. But without completing your schoolwork, there is no football. You have to take the crooked with the straights.”
McAuliffe, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound offensive tackle helped power Hamilton’s strong running game, and his leadership was unquestioned among his teammates.
“Pat is someone who others would look to for guidance because he dedicated himself to his team and always had the best of the program in mind,” Hornets coach Mike “The Meatball Master” Papero said. “He worked year-round to make himself the best he could be. Rarely have I coached a student-athlete who is such a genuine and caring person in the classroom while being a ferocious animal on the field. What I find most inspiring about Patrick is the caring spirit that he exhibits within our school community.”
A member of the Naitonal Honor Society, McAuliffe volunteers with Hamilton‘s Unified Sports Teams and is involved with Peer Leadership and Eco Mentoring while serving as Yearbook Editor.
“In my 27 years teaching, coaching and, the last 10 years of being athletic director, I have never come across a more complete individual in terms of academic standards, athletic ability and an individual who is respectful and classy,” said Hamilton AD John Costantino, who coached McAuliffe in little league.
McAuliffe not only credits his parents for his attitude, but Papero and Hornets assistant John Law, saying “ever since my sophomore year they non-stop stressed to me about how important academics are going to be when it came to recruiting. They have been my biggest supporters and role models throughout high school.”
McAuliffe adopted a simple philosophy when it came to focusing on both sports and academics.
“The secret for balancing football and school for me was just staying focused on my goals, and not stressing myself out with time,” he said. “So finding a routine to do my work and all the other stuff in my life was the biggest key for me.”
Just as Nodeland was a big key for Steinert’s passing game. The receiver was second on the team to Jake Seals in both receptions (50) and receiving yards (577) and led the Spartans with eight touchdown catches. He was also a contributor at defensive back with 35 tackles.
Chris suffered a serious injury on opening day of his junior year and was told he would miss the season, but he returned in time for the Thanksgiving game.
“In addition to being a fierce competitor, his presence is similar to having another coach on the field,” coach Dan Caruso said. “His enthusiasm for the game is contagious and he makes the players around him better. Chris never came off the field for us, he played offense, defense and on every special team.Most players who do this cut corners on one side of the ball or the other. Chris excelled in all three phases.”
He’s just as excellent off the field, being involved in Steinert’s Student Government, DECA and Key Club. Nodeland also volunteers with the Miracle League and Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
“He typifies all the attributes that the Scholar-Leader-Athlete Award embodies,” Caruso said. “He leads by example in the classroom, school community and on the football and baseball fields.”
Nodeland credits his parents along with coaches and teachers throughout his life for making him so well-rounded.
“When it comes to managing sports and keeping on top of academics, I think the key is utilizing the free time that you have,” Nodeland said. “Specifically, if I’m in school and have the opportunity to save myself time later by doing an assignment I make sure to take that opportunity.”
Although still in middle school, Cuniglio has taken advantage of his opportunities thus far.
A two-way lineman in Hamilton PAL, Dominic is a member of the OLS safety patrol and choir, has been inducted into the National Honor Society the past three years, and was the school spelling bee finalist in sixth and seventh grade. He also works at the OLS flower fundraiser; helps out in the Hamilton PAL concession stand; collected 30 Thanksgiving meals for the non-profit Meet the Need, and collects and provides coats and jackets to the Trenton community each winter.
“Dominic is a conscientious student and his hard work and perseverance have earned him academic honors as well as a spot in our Honor Society,” OLS principal Mureen Tuohy said. “Dominic can be counted on to assist the teachers or me whenever he is asked, and his responsibility, honesty and dependability are evident in all he does.”
Brian Nodeland in action for Steinert High School football.,
Kyle Sirimis.,
