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2011 Hall of Fame Inductees |
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Jack
Breunig :
Jack graduated from
Rice Lake High School in 1948 where he excelled in football, basketball and
track. He lettered three years in both football and basketball and two
years in track. In football he played on both sides of the line as
quarterback and defensive back, and led the Warriors to three consecutive Ho’N Championships in 1945, 46 and 47. In three years, and as Team Captain
in 1947, the Warriors were 13 and 1 in the Ho’N and 16-3-1 all. In
basketball as a three year starter at forward and center, Jack again led the
Warriors to three consecutive Ho’N Championships and two regional
championships. As a team, the Warriors were 30 and 4 in the Ho’N from
1945-46 through 1948, and 46 and 12 all, with their best season in 1946-47
at 17 and 3. As the team captain his senior year, Jack finished third in
conference scoring and was selected as All-Conference. In Track and Field
he was a middle distance and hurdles runner and high jumped. In the fall of
1948 Jack played football for the Wisconsin Badgers and then attended Notre
Dame University and the Siebil Institute of Technology in Chicago to become
a Brewmaster. Jack returned to Rice Lake as President of the Rice Lake
Brewing Company (Breunig’s Lager) and was a big promoter and supporter of
local and area sports. He moved to California in 1976 and was employed by
Anheuser-Busch. Jack died in 1991 at age 61 at his home in Fairfield,
California.
Tim Hovde :
A 1980 graduate of RLHS Tim was a three sport athlete earning six
letters; two in football, three in wrestling and one in track. Tim started
as a junior half back in football and ran for over 960 yards in an 8 game
season for an average of 120 yards/game. Tim was selected Ho’N First Team
All Conference. In his senior year, Tim became the featured wing-back in an
offense that brought Rice Lake an undefeated 11-0 season and its first and
only state football championship. Tim ran for 1,478 yards, which stood as a
school single season rushing record for 31 years. He also scored 18
touchdowns and had six 2-point conversions for a total of 120 points. During
the 1979 Championship season, Tim was named Co-Captain, Ho’N 1st Team All
Conference, St. Paul Pioneer Press Wisconsin Football Player of the Week,
1st Team All Northwest and the team MVP. As a wrestler in his junior year,
Tim finished at 17-4-1. In his senior year, he compiled a 21-4 record,
finishing 2nd in both regional and sectional championships and 4th place at
State. Tim was voted the wrestling team’s MVP. In Tim’s final semester at
Rice Lake, he was recruited by the track team to run as part of the 220 &
440 relay teams, earning his first track letter. Tim attended UW-Madison and
played football and wrestled as a freshman and sophomore until injuries
ended his athletic career. He and his family currently reside in the
Birchwood area.
Francis B. (Fritz) Schneider :
Fritz graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1935,
where he excelled
in football, basketball and track. In football he was a down lineman on
bothsides of the line and in basketball he was a two-year letterman at
guard, helping the Lakers to the Ho’N Conference Championship as a junior.
In addition, as a senior, Fritz was Rice Lake High School’s intra-mural 155
lb. boxing champion. He then went on to St. John’s University where he
excelled in football and track. In football as a senior in 1938, he was
co-captain of the “Johnnies” MIAC undefeated conference champion team at 5-0
and 6-2 all. At 6’ and 180 lbs., Fritz was named to the All-Conference Team
at left end and the Little All-American Football Team. In 1937 he was
second team All-Conference. While at St. John’s, Fritz helped lead the
football team to a 21-7-1 All. As a two year letterman in track, he set
records for St. John’s in the high jump at 5’ 10”, the pole vault at 11’,
which stood for 14 years, and in the broad jump at 21’ 11” which stood for
20 years. Fritz graduated from St. John’s in 1939 and then served in the
Army during WWII from 1941 to 1945 where he was seriously wounded in Germany
in January of 1945. In 1948, he was appointed Rice Lake Postmaster, a
position he held for 33 years, longer than any postmaster before or since.
A long time civic leader at the state and local levels, Francis Schneider
passed away in 1999 at the age of 82.
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