By Christian Weaner| Photo by Hannah Sucsy of Parker Images
David Hammons
One of David Hammons’ earliest childhood memories still sticks with him to this day. "I remember getting signed up for wrestling as a little kid," David recalled. "At that point I was hooked and knew I wanted to be an athlete."
Since that wrestling season all those years ago, David has grown up and matured, but his passion for sports has remained the same. Having recently graduated from Bonners Ferry High School (BFHS), David closed his athletic career with a senior year to remember.
He started at left tackle and played defensive line for the Badgers football team that finished 9-1 and won the Intermountain League (IML) title last fall, played forward on the 23-2 boys basketball squad that finished as the 3A state runner-up, and emerged as a standout pitcher, hitter and first baseman for the IML-champion baseball team. David was chosen by BFHS Head Baseball Coach Tom Turpin for the Most Improved Player Award following the spring season, and his .325 batting average, 1.050 earned run average, and .977 field percentage earned him a spot on the IML All-League team as well.
While David has savored each of these achievements, what he appreciates the most about this past year—and all the time he has spent playing sports in Bonners Ferry growing up—are the relationships he has formed with his teammates. "I enjoy the friendships and brotherhood I have built over the years playing with [my] teammates," David said.
When David is not playing sports, he loves to be outside and to go hunting and fishing. This summer, David is attending Northwest Lineman College in Meridian, Idaho, where he is being trained for a career in the power delivery industry. While his current plans do not involve playing college ball, David is thankful for all the memories he made on the field and court throughout his youth. During his senior year, David had a unique opportunity to serve the next generation of Badger athletes.
"This year I got to give back by visiting our local elementary schools during their lunch recess and played football with them," David noted. "It was such a rewarding way to give back and something I know would have had such a huge impact on me when I was little."
As David tossed the football around and interacted with the students, he could almost picture his younger self, ecstatic about the opportunity to join the youth wrestling team.
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