SACO – Thornton Academy’s Anthony Bracamonte and Ethan Logan are among the top football scholar-athletes in Maine – they’re also pretty talented off the field, too.
The duo will be recognized for their contributions in the classroom, athletic and community service at the 31st Annual Scholar Athlete Award Dinner on May 22 at Bowdoin College.
“Our kids work really hard and we try to stress to them it’s a long process,” said Thornton Academy head coach Kevin Kezal. “No. 1, we tell them, ‘I’ve never put a kid in the NFL so get a great education here at Thornton Academy.’ Thornton Academy has a lot to offer here, honor class wise, advanced placement wise … Our football program is a program with a lot of tradition. We’ve been good for a really long time so we tell them, ‘Enjoy the short time that you have in our program and make the most of it.’”
Bracamonte and Logan took advantage of all that TA had to offer to land the scholar-athlete scholarship.
Bracamonte, who played running back and return man for the Trojans, led TA to an 11-0 record and a Class A State Championship. He rushed for 1,013 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 10.9 yards per carry.
The senior also caught 11 touchdown passes and scored seven times on special teams, five punt returns and two kickoffs in his final season. Throughout his prep career, Bracamonte rushed 1,959 yards and scored 48 touchdowns.
“(Bracamonte’s) had a great career here,” said Kezal. “He’s been a three-year starter for us… It’s been a lot of fun coaching all that senior class but certainly watching Anthony – some of the things that he does, you see something new all the time. It was a joy coaching him.”
Bracamonte’s success is not only seen on the football field. He’s maintained a weighted 3.63 GPA in the classroom and will attend Endicott College in the fall. He’s also volunteered locally with a fundraising campaign to benefit cancer research, assisted at a living facility and volunteered as a youth football coach.
Logan, who played tight end and defensive line, was also instrumental in the Trojans capturing the state championship. As a tight end, Logan scored two touchdowns. As a defensive end, he logged 40 tackles, 23 solo and 17 assisted. Logan has also received another honor during his senior year at Thornton Academy. The 6-foot-2 athlete will continue his education and football career at Norwich University.
“(Logan’s) a great student,” said Kezal. “Both of them, their number one goal will be to get their college diplomas and I know right now I think (Logan will) have an opportunity to probably play some tight end when he gets to Norwich.”
The Maine Chapter of the National Football Foundation was founded in 1947 with a goal of ensuring the future of amateur football at the local, state and national levels.
In order to be considered for the scholar-athlete award, a coach has to nominate a player. The nominations will then go through a rigorous selection process, where a committee will view all applications and ultimately decide who the top scholar-athletes are in the state. This year, 20 Maine football players have been recognized as scholar-athletes.
“We never have a set number of scholar-athletes because there might be a couple of guys that have very similar resumes so we don’t want to limit,” said The Maine Chapter of the National Football Foundation President Jack Cosgrove.
The recipients receive recognition as well as a $500 scholarship.
“It’s really a nice event,” said Cosgrove. “A great evening for the schools across the state that are represented, for the coaches and the administrator of those schools, and the recipients who are honoring their communities.”
— Sports Writer Sienna Barstow can be reached at sbarstow@journaltribune.com or at 780-9018. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports
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