Officials recognize sportsmanship

Being a good student, a good athlete and a good sport can be advantageous.

William Brasuell of White Salmon knows that.

The Columbia High School senior has been named the recipient of the $1,000 Garrell Evans-George Luse scholarship, the monetary component of the Evergreen Football Officials Association's (EFOA) sportsmanship award, now in its 20th year.

Evergreen officials presented their 2004 sportsmanship award to Columbia High's football team--a first for CHS--during the annual National Football Foundation, Clark County chapter, scholar/athlete awards banquet on Jan. 19 in Vancouver.

In turn, CHS coaches and athletic director Howard Kreps, at their discretion, directed Brasuell, a two-way starter and co-captain for that team, receive the first-year-of-college financial aid, which memorializes the names of former EFOA members Garrell Evans and George Luse.

Money for the scholarship comes from an assessment on association members, a memorial fund honoring Luse and one corporate sponsor, according to Bob Weller, EFOA's past secreatary-treasurer.

CHS head football coach Scott Ross said southwest Washington high schools in every classification that play football are given consideration for the sportsmanship award, which is voted on by the association's membership at the its last meeting of the football season.

"They recognize teams for playing hard and for playing the game the right way," Ross said. The scholarship--for a current-year senior who plans to attend college--is the bonus.

EFOA's scholarship guidelines suggest the recipient be "a scholar student by school standards, an outstanding citizen in the school and in the community, and is a high school athlete in any sport."

Brasuell met all of those criteria, according to Ross.

An honor roll student boasting a 3.2 grade-point average and a three-time football letterman, Brasuell also competes in track and field and is active in the school's student theatre program.

Brasuell, who hopes to attend the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, said his high school's decision to give him the scholarship was unexpected.

"I'm surprised but grateful I got it," he said, noting the fact he was selected over his senior-class teammates "shows my good character."

Ross agreed with Brasuell's assessment.

"It's a pretty good deal for Will and a nice compliment for our team," Ross said of the scholarship and sportsmanship award. "It's nice to be able to pick someone who's deserving and give him that head start for college."