In its 28th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, announced Brecken Biggs of Natrona County High School as its 2012-13 Gatorade Wyoming Football Player of the Year.

Biggs is the third Gatorade Wyoming Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Natrona County High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Biggs as Wyoming’s best high school football player.

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award announced in December, Biggs joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.), Wes Welker (1999-00, Heritage Hall HS, Okla.), Terrell Suggs (1999-00, Hamilton HS, Ariz.), Anquan Boldin (1998-99, Pahokee HS, Fla.) and Jerome Bettis (1989-90, Mackenzie HS, Mich.).

The 6-foot, 175-pound senior quarterback and defensive back led the Mustangs to a 12-0 record and the Class 4A state championship this past season.

Biggs passed for 1,584 yards and 19 touchdowns, completing 115 of 187 passes.

He also rushed for 697 yards and 14 touchdowns on 120 carries, adding eight interceptions on defense.

Biggs was named the Class 4A Offensive Player of the Year.

Biggs has maintained a 3.34 GPA in the classroom.

He has volunteered locally on behalf of a food pantry, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Special Olympics.

“Biggs is a very good athlete,” said Jon Vance, head coach at Kelly Walsh High. “He can run the ball, he passes it efficiently and he made a lot of key plays on defense.”

Biggs remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Biggs joins recent Gatorade Wyoming Football Players of the Year Jordan Roberts (2011-12, Sheridan High School), Jim Shellenberger (2010-11, Natrona County High School), Austin Woodward (2009-10, Sheridan), Tommy Earl (2008-09, Natrona County High School) and Alex Stratton (2007-08, Cheyenne East) among the state’s list of former award winners.

Watch highlights of the 2012 4A State Championship Game:

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