CEDAR BLUFF – Cedar Bluff students Casey Early and Idral Bowen were recently named school winners for the prestigious Wendy’s High School Heisman Award.

To be eligible for this award, students must display academic aptitude, athletic talent and community leadership.

The Wendy’s High School Heisman program, awarded in conjunction with the collegiate Heisman, celebrates the achievements of the nation’s top high school seniors both in and out of the classroom. Just as the collegiate Heisman is known for being the top award in college football, the Wendy’s High School Heisman award is known for being the most prestigious award at the high school level. The award encourages future leadership by recognizing well-balanced lifestyles at an early age.

"Casey Early and Idral Bowen are both future leaders and represented their school well in the judging phase," said Archie Griffin, the only two-time winner of the prestigious Heisman Memorial Trophy and Wendy’s High School Heisman program spokesperson. "I’m proud to be involved with an award that embodies the spirit of the Heisman tradition of hard work, dedication and an outstanding record both on and off the field."

"All our applicants have shown throughout their high school careers that they embody the Wendy’s High School Heisman lifestyle," said Bobby Mintz. "This award is the perfect way to celebrate their achievements and showcase the outstanding talent at Cedar Bluff School."

Created in 1994, the Wendy’s High School Heisman program has celebrated youth excellence for 14 years. The program consists of six stages – applicants, school winners, state finalists, state winners, national finalists and national winners. Entries are initially evaluated by ACT assessment during the applicant, state finalist and state winner phases and then passed on to a distinguished panel of judges.