by Shawn Nowlin
While it may not appear to be the case on the surface, for Tre Dawyot, his brother Brody isn’t just his biggest supporter, but his best friend too.
When Roanoke County residents Grant and Tam Dawyot decided to expand their family in 2014 through adoption, they already had four biological children. That decision brought Treshaun Hunter Turner, just six at the time, into their lives. Six years later, daughters Kamy and Sany were added to the family.
Like his brother, Tre is naturally gifted at football. Brody is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound quarterback who set a Virginia High School League (VHSL) career record with 135 touchdown passes. Tre, standing 5-foot-9 and weighing around 160 pounds, had double-digit touchdown receptions this year.
The pass-and-catch tandem didn’t just lead Glenvar High to 14 victories, they did so in dominant fashion: Galax (Aug. 29, 70-0), Liberty (Sept. 5, 56-0), Cave Spring (Sept. 12, 49-3), Northside (Sept. 19, 28-7), Martinsville (Sept. 26, 42-0), Carroll County (Oct. 3, 44-19), James River (Oct. 10, 42-0), Radford (Oct. 17, 35-0), Patrick County (Oct. 24, 56-6), Floyd County (Nov. 7, 24-6), Nelson County (Nov. 14, 50-0), Radford (Nov. 21, 27-3), Gretna (Nov. 28, 41-6) and Union (Dec. 6, 21-20).
In the VHSL Class 2 Football Championship game against Strasburg on Dec. 13, the Highlanders came up short, 49-27. Despite not having the fairytale ending, the boys’ parents could not be prouder of them.
Their father, Grant, who attended Ferrum College after graduating from Patrick Henry High in 1990, was intentional about capturing their high school journey together from day one with photos and family videos.
To this day, Tre, 18, does not know his birth parents. Placed in foster care at 10 months, he was fostered by more than one family until the Dawyots came into the picture. Before the process was finalized, Tre was required to spend half a year with them.
Come fall, Brody will be part of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte football program. West Virginia State, Roanoke College and Hampden-Sydney have all offered Tre a scholarship to attend their institution.
Wherever life takes the two, the brothers are inextricably linked.
“When he came into our lives, I didn’t fully grasp what was happening. People eventually started to catch on that we’re brothers. Some people are shocked to this day,” Brody discussed on social media.
“I feel beyond blessed to be part of this family,” Tre said. “Things happen for a reason, even when we don’t understand everything in real time.”
