The Joe Sumrall Scholarship Award was started in the 2005-2006 academic year to honor one female and one male student athlete, who through the use of an essay, best reflected the values in which Joe Sumrall stood.
Each year a new essay topic is chosen for the senior student athletes. The Scholarship award is not based on academic or economic need. It is based solely on the student athlete's ability to relate the essay topic to Coach Joe Sumrall. The applicant is completely anonymous to the essay review committee.
To qualify for the Coach Joe Sumrall Scholarship:
1. The student must have completed as a minimum one (1) complete season as a participating member of an athletic team at WRHS.
2. The student must be a graduating member in good standing of that current year's Senior Class.
3. The scholarship must be used within two (2) years of graduation from WRHS.
4. This is a one time award of $500 to each winning applicant. It is neither non-recurring nor renewable.
5. The award recipient must be enrolled as a full-time student (as determined by the particular institution) in any college or technical school in the United States. The scholarship will be payable to the institution in the student's name.
6. The student must complete the essay per the instructions on the application which may be obtained from the Athletic Director.
The Demons winning ways can be directly attributed to Joe Sumrall. The 2004 Demons dedicated the playoffs to Coach Joe Sumrall and brought home a 4th State Championship in his honor. See the video clip of that dedication here!
The past recipients of the Coach Joe Sumrall Scholarship Award are:
| 2005-2006 | |
| "Tradition Never Graduates" | |
| 2006-2007 | |
| "Winners Never Quit" | |
| No Applicants | |
| 2007-2008 | |
| "The Price Of Success Is Always Paid For In Advance" | |
Read each applicant's essay by clicking on their particular name above.
"Tradition Never Graduates"
It was the year 1976 and the city of Warner Robins had one thing on their minds, Demon Football. The football season had been a success but now it cam down to the most important game of the year, the state championship. The field lights were shining and the crowd was screaming as the football players took the field. Their faces showed signs of excitement, nervousness, and anxiety but each player smiled because he knew the entire city of Warner Robins came to show support. My daddy was one of those Demon football players. Later that night he and his teammates went on to take the state title. He says that the taste of victory was so sweet and it cannot be explained because you must experience it first hand. But little did he know that his little girl would experience it just as he had.
Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of one day becoming a Warner Robins High School cheerleader. My Friday nights were so exciting because that meant a night in Demon Country at the “MAC”. I would stand in front of the cheerleaders and mock their every move because I thought I was one of them. In the summer before my freshmen year in high school my life changed dramatically. I tried out for cheerleading and my dream became a reality as I read a piece of paper that stated “Congratulations! You are now a Warner Robins High School varsity cheerleader!”
My life as a Demon cheerleader moved forward and I realized that there was more to being an athlete than just having fun. It was about being a student-athlete. Being a student-athlete can be a difficult task but it is the most rewarding thing I have done in my high school career. It has taught me so much. I have learned to balance my schoolwork and extracurricular activities, to be dedicated, to be a leader, and most importantly to respect my city and school’s tradition. I am so blessed to be raised a Warner Robins High School Demon. I will take everything that I have learned and experienced in the classroom, football games, competition mat, pep-rallies, or practice with me wherever I go in life. All of these things have made me who I am and I am a Warner Robins High School Demon. I am a Demon as a senior in high school. I will be a Demon in the future when I watch my child throw a football pass or cheer from the sidelines. I will be a Demon until the day I die because no matter how you want to put it, tradition truly never graduates.
It was the year 2004 and the entire city of Warner Robins had one thing on their minds, Demon football. Football players, cheerleaders, band members, alumni, and fans all loaded up on buses and cars to drive to Statesboro, Georgia to compete for the state title. That long drive finally came to an end and the players took the field with excitement. As I stood on the sideline I saw so many faces of fans and dedicated alumni. Through all the faces in the crowd I spotted my daddy. I started to remember all of the stories that he told me about his personal experiences in school and how important it is to him that he is a Demon. It made me feel proud. With all the fans surrounding the field, we all shared that identical feeling. Everyone who was there came to show their love and support for a Demon tradition. Later that night the Demons took home another state title. This day of victory became just another reason why it feels so good to be a Warner Robins High School Demon. ON the bus ride home I was feeling that awesome feeling that my dad had once tried to describe. It was a feeling of victory and traditional pride. Tradition may not mean much to an average high school senior but to me it means a lot. Tradition is a way of life. For me tradition involves my grandfather, grandmother, uncle, dad, and brother. Tradition has made me into the person that I am today and who I will be in the future. I am a Warner Robins High School Demon.
- Katie Gentry - Class of 2006
"Tradition Never Graduates"
Demon tradition in sports survives with teamwork, sportsmanship, hard work, and with an expectation that athletic and personal excellence is the goal for all WRHS athletes. WRHS tradition also means that respect exists in the ranks of Demon athletes on and off the field. Each student athlete enters the school and sees that the large collection of WRHS trophies is a challenge for him or her to be a part of the tradition that began long before s/he became a Demon. It is also understood that long after a student leaves the school, with diploma in hand, that the pride, honor, privilege, and desire to be a Demon will continue within the student athlete’s heart. For generations, past and future, Demon tradition will be passed along, and it alone will not graduate with each senior class.
My experiences in Demon football and baseball have prepared me to go onto college after being a part of “the brotherhood of Demon tradition”. I go onto the next level of my football career knowing I was part of over fifty years of individuals who represented our school, and even our town. I have proudly worn my uniform and Varsity letterman’s jacket as a symbol of being a part of the school’s history. I know how important my days have been at WRHS, and I will always be proud to be a Demon.
Because I was taught what Demon tradition means, I can be a part of any team in the sports arena or in the working world because I was taught how to set my goals to be one of the best on a team for the sake of the team. From the moment I stepped onto Demon Valley’s practice field and played my first red and white game, I worked to be able to say that I gave my best to be part of the Big Red, the Demons. The coaches trained us to play with determination, hard work, focus, and to play to win with honor. Most importantly they displayed the heart of Demon tradition, and we all wanted to be as good as they asked us to be for WRHS. We wanted to show them that it was important to us to uphold the tradition of winning, sportsmanship, respect, pride, and Demon spirit. It was especially sweet to bring home a victory amidst the Demon fan’s support and cheers.
Focusing on my football experiences, I began playing freshman football and supported Varsity on Friday nights by suiting up to be a part of the Demon tradition in the “MAC.” As a sophomore, I worked hard on the offensive line to start Varsity, made gains in the weight room, ran the sand pit, and drilled and practiced to be a part of a winning team. As a junior, our Demon football team got a new coach and went on a winning streak and pulled together to become one heartbeat which allowed us to make Demon history. We added our year of Demon tradition and excellence by winning in the Georgia Dome and in Statesboro for the State Championship in 2004.
Standing on the field in the Georgia Dome brought the concept of tradition to new heights for me. We were sharing a moment on the field of the Georgia Dome, a group of guys who had gone to football camps, bled and sweated, and who had grown stronger both physically and mentally together! The wall of Demon red in the stands was an awesome sight as Demon spirited fans cheered us on to victory. The feeling of being an honored part of the “brotherhood” swelled in each one of us that day. As we stomped Ware 40-0, the feeling was still with us as we finished that day as winners.
Our Demon pride was charged up when we took the field in Statesboro. We saw Demon alumni, Touchdown Club members, the band and band boosters, cheerleaders and Naked boys, families, teachers, administrators and board members filling up the stands. We also saw past Demon football players, many with State Championship rings, there to uphold tradition and to root for the red and black as their alumni did for them. I can hardly explain what I was feeling when the clock hit “0”; we were 2004 AAAA State Champions!
With these memories, I know that when I graduate my feelings about Demon tradition will go with me. I also know Demon tradition will live for future students, waiting to feel the same.- Adam Scott - Class of 2006
"Winners Never Quit"
“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” Famous words from the most quotable sports figure of our time, Vince Lombardi. Adversity is the set-backs faced by athletes daily. Coach Lombardi realized that an athlete is defined by how he handles and responds to these set-backs. One can either persevere and find success or take the easy way and quit and never know what could have been.
From an early age I can remember my father telling me that he would never force me to play any sport that I didn’t want to except for high school football. At the end of my final season, I began to realize the reason why. It was so I would gain that very trait. He pinpointed high school football as being the foundation from which he learned that to be successful; you have to persevere through hard times no matter how trying the situation may be. Hopefully, I too will look back on my life and see that I achieved success because of what I learned from my time playing football for the Demons.
This past season was one which will always be remembered by those who were a part of it. Throughout the regular season, we fought to find consistency as a team. An encouraging win would be followed by a head-hanging loss, and disappointment that we had not played up to our greatest ability. Through it all, even when our playoff hopes were in jeopardy, Coach Way and his diligent staff never wavered in their demeanor or approach to each day. When morale was down, Coach Way would tell the football team that all he knew to do was to keep showing up and working harder. Quitting was NEVER and option. The coaching staff set the example for the players. Fortunately, we caught on and gained more confidence at the end of the season and were able to make a playoff run which was predicted by no one.
I consider many of my lifetime’s greatest accomplishments to be in my contributions to the Demon football team. I didn’t decide I wanted to be a part of the Demon tradition until the last months of my eighth grade year. I thank God that He led me to Warner Robins High and allowed me the chance to contribute to the football team. I believe that I wouldn’t have the same values or pride that I now have if I would have made a different choice.
I will always remember the sacrifices I made and the other men who made the very same sacrifices for the team. For four years, our lives revolved around the cold winter weight room, early summer mornings, hot Tuesday afternoons, and glorious Friday nights. I think the grass in Demon Valley has evolved to grow on blood, tears and sweat. Although we do have a ring, if a winner is defined as one who doesn’t quit…….this Senior Class can look themselves in the mirror and say, “WE WON!!!”
- Luke Waller - Class of 2007
"The Price for Success is Always Paid for in Advance"
“The price for success is always paid for in advance.” This is a quote that I wish each graduating senior would take to heart as he or she embarks upon a new journey. If only all of my peers could be convinced of its relevance and truth, a new generation of successful adults could be unleashed on the world to truly make a difference and improve on the world in which we live. One celebrity whose success exudes his numerous years of hard work is Tiger Woods. Woods demonstrates the standard I hope to always live by. Mr. Joe Sumrall, a local celebrity, worked hard and paid for his success in advance in many ways on and off the field. I have discovered that by giving one hundred percent in my school, sports, singing, church, and community service my hard work will be rewarded with success.
Tiger Woods is a well-known public figure who unlike others has chosen to use his fame and popularity to portray a message to America. He is the perfect example of someone whose success was paid for in advance. Earl Woods, Tiger's father, played a big role in his success on and off the green. "I make it very, very clear that my purpose in raising Tiger was not to raise a golfer. I wanted to raise a good person," says the father in the release of his book Training a Tiger: A Father's Guide to Raising a Winner in Both Golf and Life. Even though Earl Woods passed on two years ago, Tiger continues the work his father started. While he is supposed to be the best golfer in America, one can still find him spending most of his time practicing for the upcoming tournaments he'll pursue.
As a high school senior, I've been able to reflect upon all the activities I participated in. As I've analyzed each of them, I realized how much time was devoted to my athletics. If I wasn't in Demon Valley practicing soccer or running the infamous cross country course at Pearl Stephens Elementary, I was on a bus traveling to a game or meet. Because I've spent so much time in Warner Robins High School sports, many the lessons I learned throughout my most trying years have come from my experiences on the field. One lesson I learned was that a spot on the team or field wasn't guaranteed. I had to work for playing time and prove to my coaches that I deserved to be out there fighting for a victory. Also, I discovered the true meaning of the cliché saying "Hard work pays off." Even though I wasn't the best, I figured out that if all my effort was put forth into practice, I would benefit in games.
My parents have always taught me to five one hundred percent in everything I set my mind to. When I was young, they threw me into every activity a seven year old could manage: basketball, soccer, ballet, gymnastics, singing, piano, and GA's. The list could go on. In addition to all these activities, my parents had high expectations for me in my studies. No matter what grade I was in, they pushed me to do my absolute best in school. At the time, I thought my parents were crazy for thinking I could handle all the practice and homework. However, now as I look back, I have to thank them. My parents paved the way for me and I attribute my success to them.
From what I know about Joe Sumrall, he was a great example of someone who's success was paid for in advance. He made his mark on the Demon Football program that will always be remembered. However, his success wasn't handed to him. He had to work his way up and learn through experiences how to be the best. His teams were successful because of their hard work and strong conditioning. They won many games in the fourth quarter simply because they were in better condition than their opponents. He touched many lives not only through sports but by being an influential mentor. I believe that I am worthy of receiving the Joseph T. Sumrall Scholarship because through athletics, like Mr. Sumrall, I must set goals and work, sweat, and fight through the pain to achieve all my goals and dreams.
- Elizabeth Clark - Class of 2008
"The Price for Success is Always Paid for in Advance"
Coming Soon
- Matthew Butterick - Class of 2008
