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Sawyer Maly of Waunakee selected to receive Al Toon Award

11/14/2018, 10:00am CST
By Travis Wilson

Wisconsin Sports Network and WisSports.net are happy to announce Waunakee's Sawyer Maley as the 2018 recipient of the Al Toon Award as the most outstanding senior wide receiver in Wisconsin, part of the WSN Senior Football Awards.

Maly was a solid contributor last year as the Warriors claimed a Division 2 state title. He's developed into the team's go-to big-play weapon as a senior, catching 50 passes for 1,169 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging 23.4 yards per catch.

He's also a weapon in the return game for head coach Pat Rice with a pair of kickoff return scores.

His biggest game as a senior came in one of the team's most important contests. In a Level 2 showdown with rival DeForest, the Warriors found themselves down by two scores early. He caught a 35-yard scoring pass in the second quarter to help the team rally to take a 16-14 lead at halftime. However, Waunakee would go behind in the third quarter and still trailed into the fourth, until Maly hauled in an 80-yard touchdown reception to help the Warriors secure a 23-20 victory.

Finalists for the award were Maly, Cade Christensen of Saint Mary's Springs, Jared Creen of River Falls, Cooper Nelson of Sun Prairie, Will Pytleski of Green Bay Southwest, and Jakob Ulman of Fox Valley Lutheran.

Past winners of the award include Madison Memorial's Lechein Neblett (2009), Monona Grove's Zach Zweifel (2010), Montello/Princeton/Green Lake's Matt Sosinsky (2011), Black River Falls' Jordan Millis (2012), Greendale's Mitchell Brees (2013), Marquette's Jake Matkovich (2014), Kimberly's Jordan Janssen (2015), Oconomowoc's Zach Clayton (2016), and Lake Mills' Hayden Iverson (2017).

The award is named after Al Toon, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin who still ranks in the top three or four of almost all game, season, and career receiving categories. Toon was a first-round draft choice by the New York Jets, who led the NFL in catches in 1988 with 93. Injuries forced him to retire early from the NFL, but he has been a fixture back in the Madison area for many years. 

The voting panel for the WSN Senior Football Awards consisted of:  Travis Wilson, WSN General Manager and Head Football Writer;  Norbert Durst, WSN Content Manager; Dennis Semrau, ESPN Madison; B.J. DeGroot, WSCO The Score 95.3 in Appleton; Curt Hogg, NOW Newspapers; Dan Barwick, WSN Contributor; Colton Wilson, WSN Content Producer; Fan Vote

Tag(s): News Archive  News  Travis Wilson  Senior FB Awards