Sports Illustrated Kids recently released its 2017 SportsKid of the Year and Washington’s Trashaun Willis was one of five finalists in the running.

This was the 11th annual SportsKid of the Year award and it is given to individuals that are described as excelling in competition, exuding confidence, and embodying what it means to be a good sport. The Demon freshman represents all of those qualities by excelling on and off the field. He is just a normal 14-year-old kid with outstanding athletic abilities and can dominate anything he plays. All of that and he does it with one arm. Trashaun was born without part of his left arm but that hasn’t stopped him from being a force in football and basketball. As an eighth grader he averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds a game and made national headlines when he dunked for the first time in a contest. As just a freshman he has logged some varsity minutes and has been a key contributor for the junior varsity team. Despite the national accolades, head coach of Washington’s varsity team Collin Stark has been most impressed with Willis’ ability to stay grounded. He described the freshman as a “kid that is not about himself and is going to continue to work extremely hard for his teammates.”

Claiming the SportsKid of the Year award was Bunchie Young of California. You can see Willis back in action on the basketball court Friday when the Demons host Keokuk.