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Tonight’s honoree is a 1980 graduate of Trimble High School. He was very active in all sports during his early years, but his athletic career endured a set back when he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis during his sophomore year. He refused to let this diagnosis end his athletic career, however, as he continued to participate in basketball and golf. As co-captain of the golf team in his senior year, he led the Tomcats to a record of 27 wins and 9 losses and was named to the All-Southeastern Ohio golf team. Tonight’s honoree was not named to the All-Ohio squad, nor did he play on a championship team, but by the manner in which he lived his life, he has shown us all the true meaning of what it means to be “Tomcat Tough.” Many athletic awards are based solely on athletic achievement and the people who choose the recipients of those awards know the honorees only as a set of impressive statistics and their uniform number. In contrast to this, the Tomcat Excellence Award is a highly personal award. It is presented by the people who knew the honoree as an athlete and know him today as a man. It is presented by the people who have known the honoree his entire life and have selected him to receive this award because of the inspiring way in which he has lived his life. Earlier this year the Trimble Alumni Football Players Association held a banquet. The featured speaker at that banquet was former Trimble Coach Ed Bolin. In describing the successful years he had while coaching the Tomcats, Coach Bolin said that Trimble never was the biggest team, they never were the fastest team, and they never were the strongest team, but they always were the team that played with the most heart and the most courage. At that banquet it was agreed on by the members of the Trimble Alumni Football Players Association that no one better represents the courage and the heart that have been the key to Trimble’s athletic success than tonight’s honoree. Presenting the Tomcat Excellence Award this evening will be Mr. & Mrs. Sam Jones. Sam as you might see is suited up and will seeing some action as he represents the J-T High School class of 1959. On behalf of the Trimble Alumni Football Players Association, we are proud to present the Tomcat Excellence Award for 2001 to Mike Jones. |
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