IRVING, Texas (Feb. 8, 2023) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame today announced that Grundy Center High School from Iowa, has been named the 2022-23 recipient of the NFF Hatchell Cup, presented by "The Original" Bob's Steak & Chop House. The award recognizes the Spartans as the top high school football team in the nation for excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community, and it comes with a $10,000 donation from Bob's to support the football program.

"The NFF is proud to present the Hatchell Cup to Grundy Center," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "All of the school's players, coaches, administrators and their families should be incredibly proud of the team's accomplishments. We hope by inspiring teams to compete in the classroom with the same competitive spirit that it takes to win on the field, we will better prepare high school football players for success later in life."

Grundy Center was chosen from the 60 teams recognized earlier this month as the state winners of the 2022-23 NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards from their respective divisions of play. Grundy Center and the state winners, who created the pool of finalists for the Hatchell Cup, were selected by the individual state high school coaches associations from nominations submitted by each school's head coach. A national selection committee, assembled and overseen by the NFF, was responsible for choosing the winner of the Hatchell Cup. The NFF will make the official presentation of the trophy at a time and place to be determined this spring.

Led by Head Coach Travis Zajac, the 2022 Spartan team boasted an impressive 3.69 GPA while winning the Iowa Class A State Championship with a perfect 13-0 record. The 2022 state title marked the Spartans' first win in four consecutive appearances in the Class A State Championship game, having finished as the runner-up in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
 
"The 2022 Class A State Champion Grundy Center Football Team excelled this season, and it is a testament to the hard work, character, determination, and team spirit of this group of athletes and coaches," said Grundy Center Secondary Principal Michael Vokes. "Head Coach Travis Zajac, the assistant coaches, and the team worked relentlessly to accomplish their goals both on and off the field; their success in both arenas happened because of their intentional efforts to do so! As their high school principal, I get to interact with both players and coaches, and it was so fun to see the growth of these young men from the beginning, through the end of the season."
 
Of the 43 players on the Grundy roster this fall, 40 made the Honor Roll with 14 members of the team boasting a perfect 4.0 and another 14 players exceeding a 3.7 GPA during the school's first trimester this year. The team placed 22 players on the Class A, District 3 Academic First Team, and four seniors made the IFCA (Iowa Football Coaches Association) Academic All-State Team. Four members of the team were selected for the National Honor Society, and ten players took advanced placement classes.
 
On the field, three players were selected by the Des Moines Register as Class A First Team All-State and five were selected IFCA-IPSWA Class A First Team All-State. Seven members of the team were First Team Class A, District 3, and six made the Second Team. The 2022 championship marked the school's first title in 34 years and fourth in school history. The team's six seniors played in 51 games, posting an overall 46-5 record.
 
The team completed more than 250 hours of community service, including assisting at Kiwanis Club community breakfasts, the town festival (Felix Grundy Days), a preschool renovation project, a community garage sale, officiating at YSF flag football games and setting up the "The Wall That Heals," a traveling Vietnam War Memorial. Numerous members of the team participated in band, choir and school musicals, while 24 of the 26 upperclassmen played at least one other sport, including several three and four sport athletes. The team featured seven sets of brothers.

"The IFCA is excited to be involved with the NFF and the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards each year as an opportunity to celebrate our school's success in the classroom," said Paul Patterson, president of the Iowa Football Coaches Association, when submitting the team's nomination. "As high school coaches, we stress the importance of maintaining high standards in the classroom and appreciate the recognition of a job well done. We are thankful for the partnership the IFCA and the NFF have in celebrating our coaches and players here in Iowa."
 
The NFF announced the creation of the award in February 2021. One-year later, Cypress Woods High School from Houston, Texas, led by Head Coach Cody Simper, claimed the inaugural Hatchell Cup. This season marks the second season the trophy is being presented. The initiative is designed to inspire and foster a culture of academic excellence on high school football teams throughout the nation.
 
Eligibility requirements for the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards include:

• A minimum cumulative team GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Superior academic application and performance.
• Successful football season.

 
This past December, "The Original" Bob's Steak & Chop House became the presenting sponsor of the Hatchell Cup. Since its 1993 opening in Dallas, Texas, Bob's Steak & Chop House has proudly offered the best cuts of meat available to guests, making the name "Bob's" synonymous with a best-in-class steakhouse experience. Over the years, the restaurant has built upon the reputation that it earned at the original Dallas location by opening restaurants across the nation, providing guests a first-class experience no matter where they call home.

"Bob's Steak & Chop House congratulates Grundy Center High School as the Hatchell Cup recipient for 2023," said Bob Sambol, the founder of "The Original" Bob's Steak & Chop House. "The award is the result of great leadership of the coaches and commitment by the players to be the best on and off the field.  For years Steve Hatchell has preached about the good in Football.  Grundy Center High School is just that."

The NFF Hatchell Cup is named in honor of NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. Since taking over the helm of the NFF in 2005, Hatchell has overseen numerous programs expanding the NFF's reach and impact as it continues to promote the scholar-athlete ideal. His career in athletics administration spans more than five decades and includes countless accomplishments, including serving as the first commissioner of the Big 12 Conference and holding the top jobs at the Southwest Conference and the Orange Bowl.

For more information on the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Award or to learn how your state high school coaches association can participate next season, please contact the NFF at HSnominations@footballfoundation.com.