Heck nominated for WFF scholarship

Rhinelander High School senior James Heck was selected as a nominee for the prestigious Wisconsin Football Foundation’s Scholar-Athlete team for the 2023 season.

The WFF selected nominees based on a combination of athletic, academic and personal achievement. Though Heck was not selected as one of the 11 statewide recipients of the WFF’s Scholar-Athlete $1,000 scholarships, he became just the 13th player in Rhinelander football history to be nominated for the award, and the first since Quinn Lamers in 2020. 

According to WFF records, Rhinelander’s last WFF scholarship winner was Matt Dalka in 2000. 

“It’s a pretty special award for him and it’s well-deserved,” Hodag football coach Aaron Kraemer said. “James has been a great student his entire career and he’s been a special athlete for us. I really appreciate all the time that he’s spent, not only in the classroom, but on the field and in the weight room, preparing himself to be an amazing student-athlete. He’s a great young man … He’s got a really bright future ahead of him. I’m proud of him and he’s definitely deserving of that award.”