Sports are in Beau Shugarts’ blood. He performs with a passion and competitive fire that most young men his age simply cannot muster.
The Greenbrier senior has been groomed for athletic greatness from a young age. His father, Bret, was a two-sport athlete in college. He was a standout Division I wrestler and briefly played defensive live for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Beau’s oldest brother, Jeff, was a three-year starter and All-Big Ten offensive tackle with Ohio State and he spent time with six different NFL teams. Stone Shugarts, the middle brother, currently plays for Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Yes, sports are definitely in the Shugarts’ DNA.
People around the state started to take notice of Beau Shugarts’ last season. As a junior, he was dominant at times on the football field, earning All-Region, All-County, and All-Area honors. He made the WJBF All-CSRA team. He also finished third in the state as a wrestler. For his efforts, he was honored with the All-Star Preps Male Athlete of the Year Award.
College coaches started to really take notice. Shugarts saw a half-dozen scholarship offers roll in over the summer before his senior year. He would enter his senior campaign under intense pressure, with some lofty goals.
The 6’2, 255-pound stud did not disappoint. He’s spent the last seven months dominating all foes in his path, no matter the sport. In football, he helped lead Greenbrier to a 7-4 mark and a state playoff berth. He piled up some incredible numbers along the way:
· 1st Team All-County, All-Area, All-Region & All-State selection
· Consensus All-State selection, earning a nod from every publication in Georgia
· Led the county and region with 130 tackles, second-most in school history
· Led the county and region in tackles for loss with 30, a school record
· 10 sacks, 42 QB hurries, three forced fumbles and three blocked kicks
· 296 career tackles, second-most in school history
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· Columbia County Defensive Player of the Year
· CSRA Defensive Player of the Year
· Region 8-AAAAA Two-Way Player of the Year
· Recruit Georgia Class-AAAAA State Player of the Year
Following football season, Shugarts turned his attention to the wrestling mat. His father Bret began coaching kids in the county at the elementary and middle school level in 2011. He took over the head coaching duties at Greenbrier three years ago, which means he’s coached some of the athletes on this year’s Greenbrier team in every match of their careers.
Bret Shugarts taught his son well, as his opponents were at his mercy on the mat just as much as they were on the football field. Beau was down to about 245 pounds wrestling as a heavyweight, giving up 30-40 pounds to his opponent in almost every match. That did not stop him from posting a 31-1 record and capturing the Class-AAAAA heavyweight state title.
Just before he clinched the wrestling state championship, he also made his college choice known. Wading through a host of offers, Shugarts decided Colorado Springs was the place for him and he signed to play football at the Air Force Academy.
Most young people would have sat back, patted themselves on the back and reveled in their impressive accomplishments, but not Beau Shugarts. He decided it was time to join the track and field team to compete in both shot put & discus.
The varsity letter he earned from track and field will set another school record. He will be the first Greenbrier alumnus to rack up 13 varsity letters. It’s yet another example of Shugarts’ desire to push himself toward the toughest of goals. No one would have blamed him for enjoying his spring and preparing for playing Division I football, but Shugarts is just not built that way.
I cannot predict the future, and I cannot tell you how Shugarts will handle the stringent demands of the Air Force Academy and Division I football. However, I can say this… if Beau Shugarts tells you he has set a goal, don’t bet against him accomplishing it.
Ashley Brown covers sports for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Ashley.brown@theaugustapress.com
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