Schoenauer compiling records for Pirates
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Brian Schoenauer did all you could do on the football field for West Windsor-Plainsboro High South.
The junior led the team in rushing with 1,741 yards, while scoring 26 touchdowns — 23 on the ground. On defense, he finished with five interceptions and was a solid tackler as a safety. And late in the season he even took over the kicking duties for the Pirates when they needed him to fill in.
But for all that Schoenauer did on the field, that was only part of the impact he made on the program itself.
”He has always had something special about him, even as a freshman you could see it,” WW-P South coach Todd Smith said. “He’s a quiet kid, but Brian gets his message across. Connor (Farrell, the former Pirates’ quarterback) was like that, too.
”He is an unemotional kid that works hard and never celebrates. But he has a fire inside him that is unmatched. There is nothing or no one that can push him as hard as he pushes himself. He is his own toughest critic. As a coach you live it and almost have to pull him back to keep him from overdoing it.”
Schoenauer helped the Pirates turn around a 4-6 season from a year ago to a 9-2 season this year that included a trip to the Central Jersey Group IV semifinals, where they lost in double-overtime to Manalapan.
”What sticks out in my mind from this season is the chemistry we had on our team,” Schoenauer said. “We really played for each other. Also, the fun that we had as a team. It was the most fun I have ever had in a season.”
Schoenauer has had plenty of fun in his two seasons with the Pirates. He’s also been very productive. He already has broken Ryan Lupo’s school rushing record and is less than 500 yards away from the all-time Colonial Valley Conference rushing record of 3.792 set by Ross Scheuerman of Allentown.
Brian Schoenauer is the Princeton Packet Football Player of the Year.
”The most impressive thing about him breaking records is when you hear the names of the guys he is passing like Lupo and Dave Twamley,” Smith said. “They are all-time greats not just West Windsor, but in Mercer County.
”But what he does on the field pales in comparison to the type of person he is. He’s one of the most respectful kids I have had. I had kids like Lupo and Twamley and you wonder how to replace them, and here is Schoenauer. I’ve been fortunate to have kids like that come through who are not just great players, but great people.”
Schoenauer remembers watching those players when he was younger, knowing that someday he would get to suit up for the Pirates. He wears Twamley’s old No. 21 and has been every bit as productive.
”I was in middle school and I went to most of the games and watched those teams play,” Schoenauer said. “This year we were trying to return to the tradition that we have had in the past of winning and getting to the playoffs and playing good football.
”This year with our seniors on the line — Frank DeMilt and Robbie Baxter — and we had returning juniors who played a lot as sophomores, Mitch (Ngai) and Eric Davis, and then Diego (Cuitino) at center as a sophomore had a great season and is a real talent. They are the reason I go. And Austin (Gioseffi) and Chris (Jones) when they were at fullback are two of the most physical guys on our team.”
This year Schoenauer added playing on defense as a safety for the Pirates and made an impact on that side of the ball as well.
”His biggest transition this year was going from one-way to two-way as a junior,” Smith said. “He adjusted to it. It is hard for any kid to play at a high level like that. We told him we need you to play safety and run it down and play good pass defense and run support — and by the way, we need you to carry the ball 30 times.
”He was able to do it because his off-season preparation is second to none. He’s one of our leaders. He had a couple of the hardest hits we had here. I’ve never seen a kid other than Chris (Evans) that could affect the game at such a high level on both sides of the ball.”
Schoenauer was just happy to contribute, wherever he was needed. And for the Pirates this season he was asked to do a lot, but never felt more important than any other part of the team.
”Having Chris Evans back at quarterback, I was hoping we could be more balanced with different offensive threats and use all of our weapons to our advantage,” Schoenauer said. “With that, teams would have to respect the run and also the pass.
”I think throughout the season we were always trying to prove ourselves to everybody. I don’t think people thought we would be as successful as we were this year. I am doing whatever I can to help the team be as successful as possible, whether that is running the ball or not running the ball by staying in and protecting the quarterback.”
With another season to go for the Pirates, Schoenauer and his teammates expect to get right back to working hard as they look to build on the success of this season and carry it into 2012.
”We were out there working harder than ever keeping the season in mind and our goals in mind,” said Schoenauer, who is also one of the top sprinters in the county during the spring track and field season. “This year’s seniors really took control of the team and made sure we were working as hard as we could because they wanted to go out on a high note. Next year we’ll have to do the same thing.”