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

Vince Biegel of Lincoln High School, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, has been selected to play in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, joining an elite group of All-Americans. Those selected will play in the game on Saturday, January 7, 2012, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The annual East vs. West match-up will be televised live on NBC at 1:00 p.m. EST and will be presented by American Family Insurance. The game will feature the nation’s top 90 high school football players.

“Vince is a talented athlete whose leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Lincoln High School,” said John Myers, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach, U.S. Army Accessions Command. “Only the strongest wear the Army colors, and Vince possesses similar mental, emotional and physical strengths to Army Strong Soldiers. We are proud to honor all of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and congratulate each of them on their selection.”

A University of Wisconsin recruit, Vince joins an exclusive list of state players who have been selected to participate in the event. Jake Keefer (Baldwin-Woodville, 2011), Will Hagerup (Whitefish Bay, 2010), John Clay (Racine Park, 2007), Josh Oglesby (Saint Francis, 2007), Jake Bscherer (Sturgeon Bay, 2006), Travis Beckum (Oak Creek, 2005), Raymond Henderson (Oak Creek, 2005), Nick Hayden (Arrowhead, 2004), Joe Thomas (Brookfield Central, 2003), and Robert Taylor (Oak Creek, 2001) are the only other state players to be selected in the ten year history of the event.

He is pictured with his parents and younger brother Hayden, a First Team All-Conference pick at offensive tackle as a junior this season for the Red Raiders.

Biegel was recently selected as a unanimous First Team All-Conference pick in the VFA-South as well as the league's Linebacker of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He will receive strong consideration for All-State honors once again as well. As a junior last season, he was a First Team All-Conference and WFCA All-State pick while earning Second Team All-State honors from the AP.

Football runs in the blood, as his father, Rocky Biegel, played for BYU from 1988 to 1991. His 371 career tackles are good for fifth best in BYU school history. His uncle T.D. also played for the Cougars. Biegel's grandfather is former Wisconsin Rapids High School coach Ken Biegel, who was at the school from 1976 to 1999 and is 13th on the all-time wins list in Wisconsin history according to the WFCA.

Biegel was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of All American Games’ network of regional directors and Rivals.com. U.S. Army All-Americans are eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year Award, the American Family Insurance Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Pete Dawkins Game MVP Award, and the Felix “Doc” Blanchard and Glenn Davis Awards.

As a result of Biegel being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach Tony Biolo is invited to travel to San Antonio and attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience featuring NFL and NCAA coaches, as well as participate in game-week activities.

For more than 11 years, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Adrian Peterson, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Lattimore, and Andrew Luck all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. The 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew a crowd of nearly 38,000 to the Alamodome, and was the most-watched sporting event on television over the weekend, excluding the NFL playoffs.

The U.S. Army Accessions Command (USAAC), a subordinate command of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, meets the human resource needs of the Army by transforming volunteers into officers, warrant officers, and enlisted Soldiers. In providing the force, the 18,391 men and women of Accessions Command prepare these future Soldiers and leaders for their initial military training. Commanded by Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, USAAC is located at Fort Knox, Ky.

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is owned and produced by All American Games, a New Jersey-based sport marketing and event management company. The U.S. Army is the title sponsor of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and American Family Insurance is the lead national sponsor and presenting sponsor of the telecast on NBC. Other national sponsors include Rivals.com, San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, Russell Athletic, adidas, Gatorade, Schutt Sports, NCSA, TapouT, Oakley, NewTek and Football University. National sponsors of the All-American Marching Band include NAfME: The National Association for Music Education, Drum Corps International, Jupiter Band Instruments and DeMoulin Uniforms.

For more information on the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and its related events visit www.usarmyallamericanbowl.com.