Mathews RB, Brookfield QB

share annual TCCA award

By Steve Ruman

sports@vindy.com

HOWLAND

Augustus Necastro and Bryan Leipply spent the 2015 high school football season rewriting the record books at Brookfield and Mathews, respectively.

On Monday, Necastro and Leipply co-authored a new chapter in the annual Trumbull County Player of the Year Award.

Necastro and Leipply were named co-winners of the award, which is presented to the top senior player in Trumbull County. The two were honored Monday at the 41st annual Trumbull County Coaches Association Player of the Year Banquet, held at Leo’s Ristorante in Howland.

Each school in Trumbull County nominates one player for the award. A media panel then selects the winner — or in this case, winners. It marks just the second time in the award’s history that co-winners were named. Maurice Clarett (Warren G. Harding) and Anthony Smith (Hubbard) shared the honors in 2001.

Necastro helped lead Brookfield to a 10-2 finish this season, which included a playoff win. As a third-year starting quarterback, Necastro threw for 1,899 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushed for 480 yards and 10 TDs.

In his career, Necastro compiled 4,821 passing yards and completed 56 receptions for touchdowns. He owns career, season and single-game passing yardage records at Brookfield.

Necastro is also a 4.0 student and ranked atop of his senior class.

Leipply was a four-year starter at Mathews, where he played on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Leipply rushed for 1,867 yards and 23 touchdowns, averaging 8.04 yards per carry. Defensively, he recorded 67 tackles, recovered three fumbles and three sacks and returned an interception for a touchdown.

Leipply owns school career records in rushing yards (4,202), touchdowns (49), and points scored (318). He is also Mathews’ all-time leading tackler (357).

Leipply owns a 3.56 grade point average and is Student Body President and President of the National Honor Society.

Ironically, both Necastro and Leipply own nine school records. Necastro plans to study biology/pre-med with the goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Leipply also will be a pre-med major.

“Whatever honors Augustus gets he deserves, I’ve seen how hard he works for it since he was five years old,” said Brookfield coach Randy Clark, who is also Necastro’s next-door-neighbor. “He’s something special. His work ethic has got him to where he’s at and it will continue to take him to where he wants to go.

“I’ve never coached a kid who works as hard as Augustus. I’m not talking just during football. Twelve months of the year, two o’clock in the afternoon, eight o’clock in the morning, you hear this banging, he’s throwing the ball in the net regardless of the weather.”

Mathews coach Mike Palumbo also pointed to Leipply’s work ethic, noting that he was “always willing to do whatever it took to make the team better.” Palumbo said that his star player served as a great role model for his teammates.

“The best thing I can say about Bryan is that he is a better person of the field than he is a player on the field, and that says a lot,” Palumbo said. “He proves that hard work pays off. I couldn’t be more proud of the kid.

“If I had a kid, he’d be the type that if I had him, I’d be thrilled.”

Both Necastro and Leipply expressed surprise at winning the award. Necastro said he expected the honor to go to either his co-winner or LaBrae standout Keevon Harris. Leipply said he expected “anyone but myself.”

Necastro insists his best accomplishments were team-oriented.

“Winning the All Americannference was the best, by far,” Necastro said. “All of the post-season accolades are great, but really it’s all about what you do as a team, and winning a league title was always our top goal.”

Leipply said that being part of a group that helped lead Mathews to back-to-back playoff appearances (for the first time in school history) is what he will most remember about his high school career.

“It means a lot to be part of a group that got this football program back together,” Leipply said. “It has to start somewhere. To be part of that building of a program is a great thing and I’m most proud to say I’m a part of that.”

Both Necastro and Leipply credited their teammates for helping them earn their post-season honors.

“This award, it’s really a team award because I wouldn’t have done anything without my teammates,” Leipply said.

Necastro becomes just the second Brookfield player to win the award. Ed Prytz took home the trophy in 1977.

Leipply is the first recipient from Mathews.

Howland High graduate Dan Moody took home the Golden Helmet Award, honoring a former Trumbull County football player now in their final year of college eligibility. Moody will graduate from Harvard this spring with a degree in marketing. He recently completed his senior season, where he was a team captain. The defensive end led his team in sacks.