Under the Friday night lights, students can find the October male Athlete of the Month Will Schreckengaust (12) dominating the defensive line at Ed Burke Field, the number 50 gleaming on his uniform. On other days, you might see him leading a club meeting during lunch or rallying the crowd at pep rallies — proving that athletic achievement is just one of the many commitments he makes on this campus.

Schreckengaust, defensive line, offensive line and long snapper of the varsity football team (4-6), currently has 40 tackles, three forced fumbles and two striped sacks, according to the school’s athletics Instagram.

“I feel really honored,” Schreckengaust said. “I feel like it’s just kind of like a testimony to me working hard and also having supportive teammates, coaches and my family. I just feel privileged to be selected.”

Charles Doerrer, AP Psychology teacher, track & field discus throw and football defensive line coach, sees Schreckengaust as exceptional among the hundreds of student athletes he has coached.

“I’ve been coaching a really long time here at Torrey Pines, and I think Will Schreckengaust is probably one of the top student athletes I’ve ever coached,” Doerrer said.

For many, Schreckengaust’s leadership as a member of the team’s senior cabinet stands out the most, alongside his performances. 

“He is an amazing leader … and the best part is he is very compassionate with his teammates,” Doerrer said. “He’s always the guy organizing stuff, checking in with people and making sure they’re okay, and being a motivator when people are down, picking people up, leading by example.” 

The football team had a “pretty rough season,” according to Doerrer. However, Schreckengaust was there to lead them through it.

“It’s really easy to lead when things are going well,” Doerrer said. “That’s super easy. We’ve had a pretty rough football season, a lot of ups and downs, and that’s when true leaders really stand out … not only is he normally a good leader, but in times of challenge, he really would rise.”

This season, the team adopted a motto: “fight, bleed, fight,” something established by the seniors before the start of the season. 

“… We want to fight, and then if you get knocked down you bleed, and then you get up and then you fight again,” Schreckengaust said. “And I think we’ve really taken that this season, and no matter the circumstance, we just kept on getting up … and I think that’s why we are also really well respected even though we may not have the best record.”

While his main focus is defense, Schreckengaust also plays offense. Doerrer referred to Schreckengaust as “a defensive star that plays offense.” 

“He plays offense when they need him, and he starts on defense, and that’s hard,” Doerrer said. “He’s a big person, so playing two ways for football when you’re the bigger player is really fatiguing … But he never complains … [he is] really selfless.”

Though “always doing great” according to Doerrer, challenges still accompanied Schreckengaust this season; even so, he was able to make a strong comeback.

“All athletes, we have ups and downs, and I think for a while he was physically feeling worn out,” Doerrer said. “He was really frustrated … He was always doing great, but he was frustrated with performance not being the best he could be. And we worked with him … So he did a really good job of resetting himself, or restarting himself in the mid-season.”

According to Doerrer, Schreckengaust is “like a student of the game,” constantly watching the game, knowing the opponents and communicating what strategies are working versus what doesn’t.

Schreckengaust referred to the game against Mission Hills High School (8-2) on Oct. 11 as his personal highlight of the season.

“Against Mission Hills, I stripped the ball from the Mission Hills quarterback … and Oliver Cole picked up the ball and he ran it back like 70 yards for a touchdown,” Schreckengaust said.

Much like Doerrer, John Prior (12), Schreckengaust’s teammate and friend, considers the Athlete of the Month title well-deserved.

“I’m stoked for him,” Prior said. “That’s one of my best buddies, and we work hard together all of the season. I know how much just football means to him, and his performance means to him, so just seeing him earn that, because he really deserves it, was awesome.”

Before each game, Schreckengaust and Prior lead team prayers together. Prior also noted how important Schreckengaust’s presence is in the games.

“Obviously he makes some great plays in the field, but I think the one thing that people don’t realize is because he’s so good, and every team in the county knows that he’s so good, they have to account for him,” Prior said. “And so you’ll see other people on our defense line get sacks and get tackles because they’re doubling Schreck, and that just opens up so much for our defense having a guy, with his size, his speed, and just his elite play that it frees up a lot of other guys.”

Off the field, Schreckengaust is well-known for his compassion and the many impacts he brings to the campus.

“He’s an awesome, super caring guy,” Prior said. “He’s really genuine … just one of my best friends and he’s just a quality human being.”

Aside from football, Schreckengaust is the Associated Student Body senior class president, president of the Falcons Rugby Club team and a leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club.

“I’m also the senior class president, so I really enjoy just the pep rallies, and planning all that stuff … and then being involved in our school stuff, like going to the other games … I also really like going on hikes, beaches, spending time with my friends, and just fishing [and] mountain biking,” Schreckengaust said.

Having multiple commitments and responsibilities, Schreckengaust balances his schedule through effective time management. 

“It is difficult, [so] you have to manage your time pretty well,” Schreckengaust said. “I have to use a lot of my time after practice, just get home, do my homework and then go to bed; it might be hard because sometimes in the off seasons, which is most of the year, you have morning lifts … but it’s just a grind honestly.”

Schreckengaust’s passion for football is evident in all aspects: performance, leadership skills, balancing tasks and the motivation to consistently perform at his best.

“I’m just trying the best for my team, honestly,” Schreckengaust said. “I want to win, and I want to do it for my guy right next to me, and I think that’s the main driving point for me … just to be there for the team.”

While Schreckengaust plans to play collegiate rugby after high school, he still cherishes the bond with his football teammates.

“You spend so much time [with your teammates] because football is really time consuming,” Schreckengaust said. “It’s every day of your high school career and basically summer. I think that the camaraderie you get with all your brothers is something unmatched.”