The late Bryan Keith Woolard stood for excellence on the baseball field and in the classroom. Tonight, Woolard’s memory will be celebrated through the Bryan Keith Woolard Memorial Scholarship ceremony that will be held before his beloved Panthers take on the Riverside Knights at 7 p.m. at Northside High School.

The Bryan Keith Woolard Memorial Scholarship was set up by his parents, Keith and Wendy Woolard, three years ago and awards $500 to the senior baseball player that best displays the ability to shine not only on the diamond, but in the classroom.

Woolard, who died in a tragic automobile accident on Jan. 3, 2009, was a star catcher on Northside’s 1994 state championship team. Woolard went on to play at Lenoir Community College where he was named the team’s defensive player of the year.

Woolard is survived by his wife Teresa and his eight-year old son Ryan. Following in his father’s footsteps, Ryan plays baseball in the Cal Ripken League for the S.O.S Computer team, where his grandfather Keith is a member of the coaching staff.

“The scholarship means everything to us,” Teresa said. “It reminds us of Bryan being alive. It keeps his name going and it just allows everybody else to know that good does come after someone good is gone … Bryan was a great guy, a great son and a great father and an all-around terrific guy who would help anyone in the world.”

After starting off the season losing 12 straight games Northside (6-12, 6-5) has caught fire and won six in a row. Panthers’ coach Keith Boyd said the ceremony (slated to begin at 6:30 p.m.) brings added importance to tonight’s game.

“Well it will mean something to all of us,” said Boyd, who did not have the opportunity to coach Woolard. “It’s going to be our Senior Night. We always try to do it on Senior Night and it gives us all a chance to recognize Bryan again and keep his legacy going. It should be treated as a great honor by the winner of the scholarship. It’s being given by people who not only care a lot about their son, but the Northside baseball program. It means a lot to have people giving back to the community.”

Like the baseball player they are honoring, this year’s Panthers’ team exhibits great hustle and plays hard until the final out.

“We’re just in the middle of a good run,” Boyd said. “The kids are very level-headed and mature. There’s no quit in them. They give everything they got until the last out and the game is over and that can make us dangerous.

“We’re just taking it one game at a time. We put ourselves in a hole with an 0-5 start in the conference but we are not taking anything for granted. We’re gonna try and win every game we can because we want to get into the state playoffs and want to earn our way in, not just receive a wild card.”

There will be three Northside players eligible for the award this year as seniors Josh Miller, Taylor Woolard and Brandon Ussery are all in the running.

Holden Cox won the first-ever Bryan Keith Woolard Memorial Scholarship two years ago, while Tyler Woolard was last year’s recipient.