Cowan, Kawawaki top scholarship awards

Union’s Trent Cowan and Columbia River’s Remick Kawawaki were the top scholarship winners honored during a Sunday reception recognizing high school seniors who played football in Southwest Washington.

The Clark County Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame awarded college scholarships to seven graduating seniors during the event at Hudson’s Bay High School.

Cowan and Kawawaki each received a $3,500 college scholarship. Second-place scholarships of $2,500 went to Jabari Marshall of Skyview and Josh McNeal of La Center. Zachary Lacey of Woodland received the $1,500 third-place scholarship for linemen. Kevin Haynes of Battle Ground and Clayton Frank of Columbia River shared the third-place honor for backs, receiving $750 apiece.

The scholarship winners were selected by a committee from a group of 31 players nominated by their high school football coaches. Selections were based on accomplishments in football (40 percent), academics (40 percent) and extracurricular and community involvement (20 percent).

This is the 21st year that the Clark County chapter of the NFF has awarded scholarships. The total has surpassed $300,000.

Two coaches also were recognized.

Columbia River football coach John O’Rourke was honored for outstanding contributions to amateur football.

Woodland coach Mark Greenleaf was the second recipient of the Gary Boggs Award. The award, which recognizes a head coach for his ability to motivate and develop players on and off the field, was established in 2012 in memory of Boggs. The football coach at Fort Vancouver for 34 years, retiring in 2001, Boggs died in 2011.

The other nominees recognized during the event were: Jack Beall and Connor Maloney of Camas, Ben Childs and Will Sauter of White Salmon, Anthony Thomas of Evergreen, Saul Santacruz and Taylor VanHeck of Fort Vancouver, Jacob Gardiner of Heritage, Noah Schultz-Rathbun and Jesse Tonkinson of Hockinson, Raymond Figuracion and Romel Taruc-Sarchi of Hudson’s Bay, Russell Culverwell and Bennett Muasau of Mountain View, Preston Brooks and Nick Gawley of Prairie, John White and Ian Williams of Ridgefield, Erik Powell of Seton Catholic, Rutger Bialkowsky and Jacob Schneider of Stevenson, Willie Lopez of Skyview; Matt Reeves of Union, and Eric Birnel of Woodland.

Former NFL All-Pro running back Curt Warner, a Clark County resident, spoke at the event.