Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

Wisconsin Sports Network and WisSports.net are proud to announce Zach Hintze of Saint Mary's Springs as the 2014 recipient of the Kevin Stemke Award as the most outstanding senior kicker or punter in Wisconsin, part of the WSN Senior Football Awards.

It's rare for a kicker to catch the state's attention, but Hintze has done just that this season. During the regular season he was 8 of 12 on field goals, including a game against Wautoma where he connected from 20, 28, and 57 yards. He also averaged 58 yards per kickoff, with 6 going through the uprights.

It was a Level 2 playoff win over Algoma that really got people talking however. Just before halftime, he made a 61-yard field goal, setting a new state record. Video of that kick made it to numerous national websites and even was featured on ESPN.

Finalists for the award were Hintze, Connor Allen of Brookfield East, Coby Oswalt of Sun Prairie, Alex Piehler of Racine Horlick, and Carter Schmitz of Germantown.

Past winners of the award include Menomonee Falls' Kyle French (2009), Arrowhead's Drew Meyer (2010), Sun Prairie's Lucas Otto (2011), Lodi's Donnie Manke (2012), and both Casey Bednarski of Oconomowoc & Colin Downing of Whitefish Bay (2013).

The award is named after Kevin Stemke, a Green Bay Preble graduate who would go on to play for the Wisconsin Badgers. At UW, Stemke quickly made an impression, setting the record for punting average as just a freshman. After a senior season that saw him average 44.5 yards per punt, Stemke was presented with the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter. Kevin also holds UW records for highest punting average in a career (43.5) and total punting yards (10,660).

The voting panel for the WSN Senior Football Awards consisted of:  Travis Wilson, WSN Content Manager and Head Football Writer;  Norbert Durst, WSN Content Producer; Dennis Semrau, Wisconsin State Journal; Justin Hull, WSCO The Score 95.3 in Appleton; JR Radcliffe, NOW Newspapers; Dan Barwick, WSN Contributor; Jimmie Kaska, iHeartMedia Eau Claire; Fan Vote