Trimble’s Conner Wright Receives GG Player of the Year Award
By: Nick Henthorn
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Gridiron Glory crowned its Player of the Year on Friday, Nov. 22, as the culmination of its 21st season on air. Conner Wright, senior running back and linebacker for the Trimble Tomcats, received the award after a spectacular individual campaign that mirrored an impressive year for his team.
Wright finished the year with 1,729 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns, as well as totaling 92 tackles, 16 TFLs, seven sacks, five forced fumbles, and one interception on defense. His Tomcats finished the the regular season 10-0 before bowing out to the Springfield Tigers in the second round of the playoffs, 20-19.
It was the second time Wright had been nominated for the award as he fell short last season in favor of then-Sheridan QB Ethan Heller, a situation which he acknowledged on Gridiron’s finale show in an interview before he was announced as the winner.
“Its déjà vu obviously, second time being here,” Wright said. “But it’d mean a great deal to me, and my family, and my community if I could take this trophy home with me this time.”
Wright beat out an impressive field of football players, including Athens QB Joey Moore, Jackson RB/LB Jayden Spires, Wellston RB/DB Rylan Molihan, and John Glenn WR/DB Reece Perkins. Wright credited his success to support from his community and his teammates, who he has played with all his life.
“It’s great to play with your best friends all the way up, ever since you were in third grade,” Wright said. “You know, you look to your left, you look to your right, you see the same guys throughout your whole life, you build a bond with everybody that nobody can ever break.”
After he was announced as the winner, Wright talked about what the award meant to him, and how it would contribute to the football culture in Glouster.
“To leave a lasting legacy, you know, of elite Trimble football players,” Wrights said. “I’d like, for the next ten years when I’m gone, and my brother will be a freshman next year, I hope that the level of playing keeps raising just a little bit in the Trimble football community.”
Even still, Wright’s playing days in a Tomcat jersey are behind him, and the senior reminisced on what he will miss the most when looking back at his decorated high school career.
“[I’ll miss] the hard work of my brothers,” Wright said. “You know, putting in the hard work after practice or before practice. Anytime like that with my friends, you know I consider them as family, and then seeing all the benefits we reaped from it, it’s been an amazing experience.”