ANDREW SALMI [email protected]
THRALL — Thrall High School varsity football senior standout tight end and defensive lineman Tyler Bonkowski announced his commitment last week to continue his career as a student-athlete with the Lamar University football program in Beaumont.
Bonkowski did it all for the Tigers under Head Coach Aaron Vanecek during the 2023 season and was a 2A-1 all-state tight end pick by the Padilla Coaches Poll, the 2A-1 District 13 overall most valuable player and an All-CenTex East selection at tight end.
“Super excited for him. He’s going to kill it,” Vanecek said. “Lamar really pursued him the whole time and treated him like a priority. Bonkowski is a stud and is going to leave his mark at Lamar.”
In a season that Thrall went 6-5 overall and made the playoffs, Bonkowski was a force on offense for the Tigers with 26 receptions for 500 yards and seven touchdown catches. He also made a major impact on defense with 64.5 tackles, 37 assisted tackles, 17 quarterback pressures, eight tackles for loss, five fumble recoveries, four bass breakups and four forced fumbles.
Bonkowski will join a Lamar Cardinals football program that competes at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level in the Southland Conference.
