Staff file photo / Greg Macafee Brookfield’s Donovan Pawlowski runs for a gain during the Warriors Week 1 matchup with Ursuline. Pawlowski was named the Trumbull County Player of the Year Monday night. He’s the third Brookfield player in the history of the award to win it.

By GREG MACAFEE

Sports editor

WARREN — Heading into last season, Brookfield senior quarterback Donovan Pawlowski was filling the shoes of four-year starter Haden Gibson.

Gibson led the Warriors to two postseason appearances and was a third-team all-state selection while Pawlowski was one of his favorite receivers.

Pawlowski had a lot to live up to, but over the past two years, the dual-threat quarterback made a name for himself under center for Brookfield and capped off his high school football career on Monday evening by being named the 2022 Trumbull County Player of the Year.

“This is amazing. This has been one of my lifetime goals in high school was to get this award, and now to have it, it feels great,” Pawlowski said.

Pawlowski becomes just the third Brookfield Warrior to win the award, following in the footsteps of Ed Prytz, who won it in 1977, and Augustus Necastro, who won it in 2015.

In his senior season, the fleet-footed quarterback led the Warriors to a record of 10-2. After suffering only one loss during the regular season, which came in Week 1 against Ursuline, the Warriors bowed out in the second round of the playoffs.

Pawlowski finished the season with 2,173 yards and 30 touchdowns while helping the Warriors put up 436 points. He also ran for 661 yards and 10 touchdowns and could have added more if not for a late-season leg injury that prevented him from running the ball.

“This was a great season,” Pawlowski said. “I knew coming into this season we were going to have a pretty good team and that we were going to be good. Losing that Week 1 game really hurt us, but I really put my foot down through the rest of the season and led the team.”

Over the past few years, Brookfield coach Randy Clark has seen Pawlowski do some pretty special things on the football field while beating teams with both his feet and his arm. But he had more intangibles than just his athletic ability.

“He’s very competitive, and he hates losing,” Clark said. “In everything he does he wants to be the best, it doesn’t matter if it’s playing cards or playing whatever, he wants to win. He puts a lot on his own back for what he does too. He also has some pretty good players around him.”

Pawlowski may be the first to recognize those players around him. From running back Christian Davis, who rushed for 1,055 yards to receivers Aiden and Isaiah Jones, who were two of the best in the area, Pawlowski was surrounded by top-tier athletes.

The senior signal-caller also had a great offensive line in front of him who led the way on the ground for the Warriors.

“Those guys are everything,” Pawlowski said. “If I don’t have guys who can catch the ball, I’m nothing, especially with my offensive line. If they aren’t blocking for me then I can’t do my job. So everything goes out to them.”

With his talented skill set, Pawlowski has aspirations to play at the next level. With his athleticism, some may see a move back to receiver in his future, but Pawlowski is open to doing whatever it takes to get on the field.

“If they want me to play quarterback, I’m open to playing quarterback but if they need me somewhere else, I’m always open to going out and playing wherever they need me,” Pawlowski said.

gmacafee@tribtoday.com