By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Hunter Ziegelmeyer, an all-state offensive lineman for Covington Catholic, received the Brian Williams That’s My Boy Award for being the top student-athlete in Northern Kentucky high school football this season.
Hunter Ziegelmeyer
A rating system that awards points for achievements in football, academics and community service determines the award-winner. In addition to being voted third-team all-state in football, Ziegelmeyer ranks among the top students in CovCath’s senior class with a 3.91 grade-point average. He participates in youth football camps and other volunteer projects through the school’s Magnified Giving Club.
“I have had the opportunity to see that Ziggy is a person who cares about others and is never afraid to do the right thing,” CovCath coach Eddie Eviston said in a prepared statement for the awards banquet. “It is very noticeable that his peers, both classmates and teammates, have a very profound respect for him.”
The 6-foot-6, 275-pound senior accepted a financial aid package from Dartmouth College. He said his decision to attend the Ivy League school was based on the its prestigious academic reputation as much as the football program’s success.
“I was always looking for academics first and athletics second,” Ziegelmeyer said when he made his commitment. “When I started getting to Ivy League schools I kind of shoved off everybody else who was lower. I was very attracted to an Ivy League education.”
The other nominees for this year’s That’s My Boy Award were Cooper senior wide receiver Dante Hendrix, Holy Cross senior linebacker Derrick Barnes, Simon Kenton senior linebacker Brian Carter and CovCath senior defensive back Anthony Best.
The award is named in honor of Brian Williams, a former recipient who played football at CovCath. He was killed in the 9-11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.
Conner ready to begin fund drive for new athletic field
Conner High School will kick off a campaign to install synthetic grass on its athletic field with a community meeting on March 14 at Lakeside Church in Hebron.
The school needs to raise between $630,000 and $750,000 for the new field, according to Conner athletic director Jim Hicks. He said the Boone County Board of Education approved the fund-raising drive, but no tax dollars will be used for the project
“It’s all community driven and we’ve got a great committee together that’s really strong and wants to get this thing accomplished,” said Hicks.
Hicks resigned as boys’ head basketball coach last spring to become Conner’s athletic director. He took on this project because rep[lacing the existing natural grass field a more durable synthetic grass field will benefit several different sports teams, as well as the school band.
“Right now, they’re not able to hold any kind of band competition, so having artificial turf would allow them to do that and raise money for their program,” Hicks said.”
There are four public high schools in Boone County and Ryle is the only one with a synthetic grass field. Hicks said Ryle raised the money it needed for its field in a matter of weeks.
“They had one big contributor that came in and wrote a very big check,” Hicks said. “We’re hoping that happens, but we know it’s probably going to take a year to get it done. But we are going to get it done.”
Charities to receive money from boys’ basketball games
Organizers of the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic will present a check to three charities that will receive donations from the high school basketball games played in January.
The check presentation will take place at halftime of the first 9th Region boys’ basketball semifinal game to be played at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday at BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University.
The money raised from this year’s classic will go to the Ruth Lyons Children’s Fund, Neediest Kids of All, St. Elizabeth Foundation and Chicks & Chucks, a breast cancer support group.
Since its inception in 2001, the Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic has donated more than $208,000 to local charities. The games in this year’s event were Holmes vs. Cooper, Dixie Heights vs. Scott, Covington Catholic vs. Newport Central Catholic and Elder vs. Oak Hills.
