Thomas County Central High School seniors Drew Lloyd and Huntley Rodgers have scored special certificates for their achievements both on and off the athletics fields.

Lloyd and Rodgers have been named Wendy’s High School Heisman school winners.

“I feel very honored,” Drew Lloyd said. “I’ve worked really hard in school and sports throughout high school, so it’s nice to be recognized for the work.”

Lloyd plays soccer and she ran cross country her junior year to help with soccer conditioning.

“I love the team aspect of sports,” she said. “I have met some of my best friends through soccer. I enjoy being an athlete because you learn life lessons you wouldn’t have learned without a team. I’ve met amazing competitors and coaches that truly made an impact on my growth as a person.”

Soccer coach Kristy Vann calls Lloyd “an exceptional athlete and well-rounded young lady,” both on and off the field, and “one of the most respectable athletes” she’s ever coached.

"She holds herself to the highest degree of training and strives to better herself academically while maintaining the highest quality of stamina for her busy lifestyle,” Vann said of Lloyd. “She holds the defensive line in soccer, playing center back, and commands team dynamic tactics by communicating defensively and offensively. I was honored to coach this young lady in club and high school soccer.”

Lloyd said her motivation for playing the game is the happiness it brings her.

“It is an escape from reality,” she said. “After having two year-long injuries (ACL tears), I never take a moment on the field for granted and enjoy all aspects of the game.”

Off the field, academics have always been one of Lloyd’s priorities.

“I’ve always enjoyed challenging myself and learning new things, so excelling in school has been my number one focus since I was way young,” she said. “Academics are important because they give me the ability to make a difference and my school interests have given me a purpose for the future.”

These school interests include National Honor Society, math team, and Future Business Leaders of America, or FBLA, where she holds a senior co-president position.

She’s also very involved in Backpack Buddies, a community initiative that sends food home with students from in need families each weekend, and has volunteered with service organization Hands On Thomas County.

Lloyd think’s it’s important to give back to her community to help meet its needs. She encourages other teens to get involved in their community, too, because “it is a rewarding feeling and a little help really does make a difference.”

Huntley Rodgers is “very honored and proud” to be recognized as a school winner because only one male and one female is selected from each participating school. He plays soccer and football.

“I think that the excitement of being an athlete keeps me motivated and playing,” he said.

Tony Voyles, Rodgers’ soccer coach, said the youth has been a team starter since his freshman year and is “always dedicated and disciplined in his approach to training and competing.”

“He has been a leader among the team since the beginning and was rewarded by being named a team captain,” Voyles said. “His skill, intelligence, and work rate has been a huge asset to our program, and he will be greatly missed after this year. We are looking forward to having a great season in the spring, and he will be a big part of that.”

Academics are “extremely important” to Rodgers because they “essentially determine where someone will go to college.”

“With this in mind, I always tried my best to excel in academics because I knew that great academics could allow me to attend the University of Georgia,” he said.

Rodgers is involved in TCCHS Student Council, National Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America. He’s been class president and participated in FBLA – including three trips to state competition – all four years of high school. He was inducted into NHS his junior year.

He gives back to his community by helping teach special needs elementary students.

“I enjoy spending time with the kids and helping them overcome their learning disabilities,” Rodgers said.

He encourages other teens to get interested in their community because it’s both “fun” and “great to make a difference.”

Wendy’s High School Heisman was created in 1994 by Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, who dropped out of high school at age 15 to work full time, per the award press release. Thomas, though successful, didn’t want other youths to follow his example – not finish high school or attend college – and expect the same achievement. In his 60s Thomas received his GED, which inspired him to create the program as a way to celebrate America’s youths’ achievements.

As school winners, Lloyd and Rodgers each will receive a certificate and a Wendy’s High School Heisman patch. For more information about the scholarship program, visit www.WendysHeisman.com.