Dec 31, 2024
photo by: Nick Henthorn
Wheeling Park’s Brennan Wack races up the field during the Patriots’ regular season game against Steubenville on September 27, 2024.
WHEELING – It wasn’t until August that Brennan Wack learned he would be the starting tailback for the Wheeling Park Patriots. Now, in December, Wack has been selected as the top running back in the Mountain State.
Wack has been named this year’s recipient of the Curt Warner Award by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the best back in West Virginia.
“Midseason-on I started to compare him to what’s going on around the state,” Wheeling Park head coach Chris Daugherty began. “That’s when I started thinking he might be the best kid in the state of West Virginia. At the end of the year, we’re going against Huntington, and we had an unbelievable schedule. He produced against great teams. He didn’t just get all his yards against some of our weaker opponents, he had big yardage against very good defenses.”
Wheeling Park’s schedule included Spring Mills, Morgantown, Fairmont Senior, Ohio D-III power Steubenville, and a matchup against Huntington in the state quarterfinals.
“That’s when I started thinking, at the end of the year, ‘we have the best back in the state.’” Daugherty said. “But that doesn’t mean you’re going to win the award. To see the rest of the state acknowledge that Brennan had that type of year and looked like that type of player, I think he’s super deserving and I’m super excited for him.”
Being named the Curt Warner Award winner was an honor to Wack, a junior.
“It means a lot, really,” Wack said. “There are a lot of really great running backs in the state and it’s nice to be recognized as the best.”
Wack makes history for his school as the first Wheeling Park Patriot to take home the award- given annually since 2014- a fitting punctuation for a year in which Wack rewrote Wheeling Park’s record books.
“When we had the opening at running back, he was just a natural fit to move from his inside slot receiver position to running back,” Daugherty said. “I can’t tell you that any of us knew that this was going to turn into the greatest season by a running back in the history of the school. What we did know was that Brennan was going to work extremely hard and be ready for his opportunity.”
Wack now holds the Wheeling Park record for rushing touchdowns in a game, rushing yards in a game, rushing yards in a half, average rushing yards per game, and rushing yards in a season, and has tied the record for rushing touchdowns in a season.
Wack’s junior campaign ends with 2,258 rushing yards at 8.4 yards per tote and 31 rushing touchdowns, marks that are hard to match.
“He’s a special kid- durable, fast, he has the ability to make you miss, he just has everything that you’re looking for in a tailback,” Daugherty said. “Honestly, from our first scrimmage to the last play of the state quarterfinals, Brennan continued to just get better and better.”
“I think it’s great if I can get some recognition for the school,” Wack said. “I think Park is one of the best schools in the state and it’s nice to get its name out there.”
Wack set his school’s record for rushing yards in a game three separate times this season, first rushing for 298 yards against Musselman, then 302 against John Marshall, and finally running for 342 yards in the playoffs against Huntington. Wack also broke the school record for rushing touchdowns in his game against Huntington with five.
“I’m not sure I ever expected all of that, but it meant a lot,” Wack said of the records. “It was really cool to break those records, especially with how long some of them had been standing. It was a little surreal after that first Musselman game.”
Wheeling Park boasted a strong offensive line this year, composed of Liam Waldek, Kieran Moses, Luke Miller, Cameron Bryan and all-state first teamer Hunter Means.
“It is a reflection of more than just Brennan, obviously,” Daugherty said. “His offensive line did a great job, and those kids win this award with him, I think. Brennan, his offensive line, the coaching staff, everybody’s a winner when you have a player win an award like this.”
The Patriots had raved about Wack’s work ethic all season, and at the end of the year, that work ethic had paid off.
“It came from working hard at practice every day, being prepared for all the games, watching a lot of film,” Wack said of his success. “And also, just listening to my instincts out on the field.”
“Brennan’s a humble kid, he’s a quiet kid, but he’s a confident kid and he works extremely hard,” Daugherty said. “So it’s nice to see him get this award.”
Wack was selected for the Curt Warner Award over Wahama’s Connor Lambert and Roane County’s Lane Watson.
Wack will be recognized at the 78th Victory Awards Dinner on May 4, 2025, at the Bridgeport Convention Center.
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