Brian Schoenauer can do a lot of things. He works well under pressure and performs consistently in front of large crowds. He has an impeccable sense of timing and is able to coordinate his every move with those who perform alongside him. He dedicates hours to practicing his craft.
These qualities define Schoenauer not only as the record-breaking running back at WW-P High School South, but also as a musician and as an A-student.
Despite all of his success, though, Schoenauer remains genuinely humble. His modesty is what many would call his best quality.
Schoenauer capped off a stellar high school football career by shattering two major records. On October 6 he passed Allentown’s Ross Scheuerman to become the all-time leading rusher in Colonial Valley Conference history. Then on October 19 he scored five touchdowns against Notre Dame to become Mercer County’s all-time leading scorer. He was instrumental in the Pirates’ 9-2 season, which ended November 16 with a loss in the state tournament to Middletown South.
Each game brought an increasing amount of attention to Schoenauer’s ability on the field, but he rarely, if ever, took credit. Even after the games in which he broke records, he had nothing but praise for his teammates, specifically the Pirate offensive line.
“It’s not superficial,” Brian says. “They really don’t get enough credit. Mitch Ngai, Eric Davis, Anthony Colonna, and I have all been playing together for four years. We’ve gotten so close over the years.”
His father, Mickey, who played college football as a defensive back with the Coast Guard Academy, says Brian has a fondness for the team aspect of the sport. “We always try to emphasize that everybody has a role,” Mickey says. “He recognizes that when you’re out there, you succeed as a team, and you suffer setbacks as a team. If you’re doing your job and they’re doing their jobs, it all comes together. You can’t do much without your team.”
Brian applies that same philosophy to the arts. He is a frequent participant in South’s musicals, in addition to playing the piano and bassoon. He started out as a saxophone player, but he switched instruments after his teacher reached out to the class in search of a bassoon player.
“I’ve always liked music,” he said. “I got involved with the musical in high school by happenstance. It’s good to step away from football sometimes and enjoy all of the opportunities high school has to offer.”
The similarities between athletics and the arts are endless. Coaches and referees act as conductors and concert masters on the field. In both activities, timing is everything. Working as a unit is also key. “Attention to detail is important in both fields,” Brian says. “You’re always working to perfect your craft, and there is a lot of individual and group practice time involved.”
Schoenauer’s parents both worked in the pharmaceutical industry, and they moved to West Windsor in 1997 when Mickey was transferred to Manhattan. Cynthia became a stay-at-home mom. Young Brian was always willing to try new things. A former youth soccer player, Brian started playing football at the age of 11 and fell in love with the sport.
“It was all his own doing,” Cynthia says. “As he developed interests, he began to pursue them.”
Mickey says that while he and Cynthia encouraged Brian to go after what he enjoyed, he chose which activities to tackle. “It was his decision,” Mickey says. “Whatever he wanted to do, we supported.”
The same could be said for Brian’s sisters, Ciara and Kathryn. A 2010 South graduate, Ciara played lacrosse and soccer in high school. She currently attends Syracuse University, where she rowed crew. Younger sister Kathryn is a cheerleader.
Mickey said no matter what his children do, he always tells them the same thing: “Work hard and have fun. Brian follows that in music, sports, and academics.”
Perhaps that philosophy is why Brian received offers from Harvard, Princeton, and Penn. He ultimately decided on Penn, but that was after a long and intense deliberation process.
Brian was heavily recruited, and Cynthia says it became overwhelming at times. “It was nerve-wracking,” she says, “but he kept it in check. He kept on playing football and going through life while making that decision.”
Brian wanted to make the most of the experience. “It was hard sometimes because the camps in the summer could be grueling,” he says. “You just don’t know where you stand with the coaches sometimes. It’s not like anything I’ll ever experience again, though, so I tried to make the most of it.”
Both Cynthia and Mickey say he received a good deal of guidance from South head coach Todd Smith and former Princeton University head coach and West Windsor resident Steve Tosches.
“It was kind of an exciting process,” Mickey says. “He had a lot of help. [Smith and Tosches] gave him a lot of advice. It was really neat. He had a lot of support. Everybody wanted him to do what was best for himself.”
Brian says some of the best advice the two coaches gave him had to do with simply staying calm. “They told me that there was no pressure to make a decision,” he says. “You just need to weigh your options and go where you want to go and where they want you.”
After weighing his options based on the schools’ coaches, football programs, academics, and locations, Brian eventually chose Penn. “They were all great choices,” Mickey says. “It was hard to make a bad decision.”
While Brian is looking forward to going starting college, the end of his high school career is bittersweet — emphasis on the “bitter.”
“It hasn’t hit me yet,” he says. “It has been so fun. I have become so close with the coaches and my friends, and we had some success. It’s exciting to look towards the future, but it’s mostly kind of sad. It’s over just like that.”
