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Rock Island's Heriford balancing school and hockey
Print publication date: February 2, 2004 By Jim Stephens, Correspondent For athletes, balancing classes and practices can be a tough task. However, there are a lot who can succeed in both the classroom and on the field. For one Rock Island junior, it's been tough, but he has found the key to success. Brandon Heriford is a 16-year-old junior at Rock Island High School. Between tennis, school, and his passion, ice hockey, Brandon manages to keep his education on the top of his priority list. He has been a member of the Quad City High School Hockey team for the past three years and an assistant captain for the Quad City Blues Varsity team this season. At Rocky, he is also a member of the tennis team and the treasurer of his class, all while managing a 4.0 GPA. ``Hockey is one of my favorite things to do,'' Heriford said. ``But it's not my number one ambition. In high school, I have to focus on my schoolwork and getting good grades so that I can achieve what I want to in life.'' He started playing hockey when he was young, thanks to help from his dad and the numerous games he saw the Phoenix Roadrunners play. From there, he worked his way up from the mite level to the high school level, which he attributes to the good coaching he has received. ``I had a lot of great coaches in my years,'' Heriford said. ``Coaches Todd Woodcroft, Jim Thompson and Mike Festing-Smith all have given me the confidence and encouragement to improve. I attended Northern Edge camp for a year, too, which helps enormously.'' ``Brandon is a hard worker,'' Blues coach Paul Stephens said. ``He never quits on the ice, even if the team is losing, he is one of the guys who will give us his all. Last season, he was a JV player but has worked his way on to the varsity squad this year, and into one of our leaders.'' On the ice, Heriford says he plays for the love of the game and camaraderie he gets from his friends on the team. ``The atmosphere of the games is a drive for me,'' Heriford added. ``High school hockey is a sport that takes commitment and time if you want to succeed. Being a part of a team and watching the team grow and work together is also a rewarding experience.'' Brandon added that his friends on the team also give him that drive to succeed, especially his long-time friend, Kory Woolfolk. Heriford and Woolfolk both laced up the skates on a lake in Wisconsin and since then have played together on numerous teams, and Heriford says he looks up to his friend on the ice. ``Kory is an incredible player,'' Heriford said. ``He is a role model to me on the ice. He isn't the biggest player on the ice but his heart is in the right place. We could be losing by ten goals and he still is on the ice giving his all. He's taught me a lot about commitment to working hard.'' Off the ice and in the classroom, Heriford takes a different look into what makes him excel, and takes pride in his grade-point average and his writing. ``Brandon loves to read and write,'' his dad, Joe, said. ``He just has a passion for writing more than anything. Sometimes I have to proofread his papers and they are very deep, but thatªs the way he is, he focuses and writes what he feels. They are very good papers.'' For some people, the reading and writing that comes with school may seem to be a hassle, or not fun to the average student, but to Heriford, it is a challenge he enjoys taking on. ``I enjoy learning. Sure my parents want me to excel in the classroom, but I want to more,'' he added. ``I have a passion for reading and writing, it is something that I am good at. That's were I get my desire to get good grades.'' After graduation in 2006, he says he wants to pursue a biology/chemistry degree in college and go on to medical school. Brandon says he wants to continue his hockey career but not at the expense of his education. ``Hockey is not my major concern,'' he said. ``If the opportunity arises for me to play college hockey at a good education institution, I wouldn't pass it up.'' For the National Honor Society member and multi-sport athlete, the message is loud and clear. ``School comes first.'' 
This Page was last update: Monday, February 2, 2004 at 9:34:28 AM This site is using the RISD41 theme.
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