Ayala High basketball coach Sameer Bhatt, who also teaches AP Government, says of his senior point guard, Joshua Townsell, “He’s the epitome of what you want a student athlete to be.”

On Monday, Townsell and 10 other Southern Section athletes were honored at the 20th Dr. Jim Staunton Champions for Character Awards.

Besides being given a $1,000 scholarship, Townsell received a gift certificate for free Raising Cane’s chicken for a year. That’s what he was most bragging about.

His coach sent out an email to the entire Ayala faculty, saying, “While he may not seek the spotlight, the impact he has made on our basketball program, and the wider Bulldog community, is nothing short of remarkable.”

He has a 4.0 grade-point average and serves as a mentor to many of his teammates. He has volunteered to assist in water development projects in Nigeria and community service in Pomona. He’s also a star point guard who was first-team all-league as a junior.

Teammates will be congratulating him — and asking to accompany him when he goes for a chicken dinner.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].