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Triple Play Triple Threat -- Ben Heiligenthal, Catholic Central

10/19/2015, 12:00pm CDT
By Mark Miller

Name: Ben Heiligenthal

School: Catholic Central

Grade: Senior

Football Honors: Three-year starter at quarterback for the traditionally strong Hilltoppers and longtime coach Tom Aldrich ... Helped the team to a 9-0 record and the title in the Metro Classic Conference as a senior ... Passed for 1,296 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for 146 yards en route to earning first-team all-league honors as a sophomore ... Passed for 1,422 yards and 13 scores while running for 281 yards and six TDs as a junior ... Earned honorable mention all-conferenc eand All-Racine County following junior season ... Enters the WIAA playoffs as a senior having passed for 874 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 936 yards and 17 touchdowns ... Team captain as a senior. 

Basketball Honors: Enters senior season as a three-year varsity performer, playing for coach Eric Henderson as a freshman and sophomore, and coach Kyle Scott as a junior ... Has scored 833 career points through junior season ... Versatile 6-foot-3 forward who can affect the game from the perimeter or in the paint ... Averaged 7.8 ppg as a freshman, 12.1 ppg as a sophomore and 14.5 ppg as a junior ... Second-team all-league pick in each of the past two seasons.

Baseball Honors: Enters senior campaign as a three-year starter in the outfield and at first base ... Batted .385 as a junior for the Hilltoppers and earned second-team all-league honors in the Metro Classic Conference.

Favorite Sport: "If someone asked me right now, I'd probably say football, and if somebody asked again in a couple of months, I'd probably say basketball. My favorite sport it whatever sport I am playing. It's so hard to pick a favorite because I love all three, and I love them each for different reasons."

Best Advice from a High School Coach: "There are only two things you can control in sports ... your attitude and your effort. That is from my football coach, Tom Aldrich."

Most Memorable Moment in High School Sports: "Winning the conference championship and going undefeated in football this season. One of the coolest things I've every gotten to experience playing a sport was climbing p that ladder and getting to put a big 2015 on the Wall of Champions. The Wall of Champions is a big wall by our football field that has a list of all the conference and state champion football teams at Catholic Central."

Best Part of Playing Three Sports: "I never get bored or tired of a sport. It's fun to play three sports because each sport I play is so different and they're each fun for their own reasons. I also get to play with a lot of different teammates and build a lot of friendships."

Toughest Part of Playing Three Sports: "Playing three sports takes a mental and physical toll on me. Sometimes it's tough to balance sports with school, but I've learned great time management skills from it. Also, physically it's a lot. Sometimes my body doesn't get much rest. I can recall a year when we lost a playoff football game on a Friday and then basketball began on the following Monday."

Favorite Opponent: Shoreland Lutheran. "It's a great rivalry, and no matter which sport it is, it's always a good game."

Favorite Professional Teams: Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Brewers

Favorite Professional Athlete: Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers

Favorite College Team: Wisconsin Badgers

Cumulative GPA: 4.0 "I am a student first and an athlete second. Not only do I work extremely hard on the court/field, but I work even harder in the classroom."

Toughest Individual You've Competed Against: "Definitely Diamond Stone of Dominican. No explanation really needed."

Most Admired High School Teammate: "Spencer Wilker. I played basketball and football with Spencer. In both sports, he was a role model for me. I always looked up to him. He taught me so much for both sports, and along with being a great leader, he's also a great friend."

College Plans: "No completely decided, but I would like to attend UW-Madison to major in computer science."

Activities Outside of Sports: Vice President of Student Council, Vice President of Key Club, Leadership team member of Operation Click club, National Honor Society member, member of Student Ambassadors.

I Find it Relaxing to: "Play video games, hang out with my brothers, hang out with my friends and watch NFL games all day on Sundays."

Favorite TV show: "I'm a huge fan of The Walking Dead. I started watching a couple of episodes and now I'm hooked. I record every episode."

Favorite Movie: Anchorman. "I love all Will Ferrell movies."

Favorite Musical Artist: Taylor Swift. "Who doesn't like Taylor Swift?"

Favorite Subject: Math. "I'm good with numbers and I like when things have an exact answer."

Favorite Restaurant: Buffalo Wild Wings. "I don't like my wings too spicy, though. Boneless Honey Barbecue is my wing of choice."

Favorite Website: www.twitter.com

Other Family Members: David, father; Debra, mother; Matt, older brother; Luke, younger brother. "My mother is a Catholic Central alum, and my dad was a three-sport athlete at Catholic Central, too. He is definitely a role model for me. I'd like to thank my family. I would not be able to do all of the things that I do without them. They give me endless support in everything I do. I owe so much to them. They are my biggest fans, and I love them."

(If you'd like to nominate a senior three-sport athlete from Wisconsin for the Triple Play Triple Threat feature, please contact Mark Miller at wbnews@yahoo.com).

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