Wrestling can take some extra motivation, and for Luxemburg-Casco, Aaron Rodgers is bringing it; or at least his touchdown dance.

The Spartans wrestling program caps off with their top-ranked high schoolers, but in what seemingly everyone called “The Program,” Luxemburg-Casco has a booming youth wrestling program with kids as young as four-years old.

That’s where the “Hardest Working Sucker” comes in, pictured to the right.  18-year-olds need not apply for the belt, it goes to the young wrestler who worked the hardest in practice.  Coaches make an effort to spread the honor around.

The “Sucker” award comes with, of course, a lollipop.

Two rules for the wrestler who wins, a youth coach told me: whom ever wins has to wear the belt to class the next day.  Helps bring up enrollment and, come on, it’s a sweet belt.  The other rule?  When you win and put on the belt for the first time, you have to do Rodgers’ “Discount Double Check”-belt move.

During practice, as you see in the picture, the belt watches over the young wrestlers from a padded post in the middle of the wrestling room.  Luxemburg-Casco head coach Bob Berceau credits the school’s youth program with his team’s consistent success.

The Phoenix women are experts … professionals, at deflecting praise.  Record win streak?  No biggie.  Ridiculous rankings?  Meh.

Not that perfection needs motivation, but Green Bay’s star might have it — forward Julie Wojta was not included on the Wooden Award Midseason list, the top 20 candidates for the top women’s player in the nation.

Wojta’s having a crazy all-around year: 19.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, also leads the Phoenix in steals (3.8/game), blocks … Wojta is even tied for second on the team in assists.

Only two of the 20 players on the midseason list come from non-BCS teams (Delle Donne, Delaware and Shante Evans, Hofstra).

Wojta’s all around game boasts stats comparable to those on the list, and only Brittney Griner’s (on the list) Baylor Bears are, like Green Bay, undefeated.

I asked Phoenix head coach Matt Bollant earlier this season if he thought Wojta deserved to be considered for All-America honors, he said absolutely.  If these kind of individual awards are important … and, I’m just guessing, Wojta would be among the first to say they’re not … it might take a well-within-reach perfect record to escalate Wojta’s notoriety.

The Phoenix media relation folks say they don’t believe a Phoenix player has ever been named to the Wooden Award midseason list.  The award itself is given out April 6th.

You can find the complete list of players on the Wooden midseason list here: http://www.woodenaward.com/?p=1154

The phone is starting to ring for one of the top prep basketball players in the area — including some long distance, and increasingly high profile calls.  Little Chute forward Turner Botz is getting attention from a number of colleges, including Green Bay and some schools from BCS conferences.

“A lot of Horizon League schools, Boston College, Missouri Valley (conference teams), a lot of mid-majors, starting to get some more high-major looks,” said Botz.

Botz said Boston College first contacted him about three weeks ago, though there has not been a scholarship offer yet.

The 6’6 forward averages nearly 21 points and over 6 rebounds per game for the undefeated Mustangs, currently top-ranked in the FOX 11 Top 11.

“When the lights are really bright and the game is really huge, that’s when he plays his best,” said Mustangs head coach Mickey Martin.

Green Bay appears to be in play for Botz as well, who said he was going to meet with coaches Monday evening after practice.  There’s a possibility of a “5/4″ scholarship offer, where Botz would be asked to redshirt his freshman year, then become a scholarship player his second season at Green Bay when more scholarships open up.  Scott Venci of the Green Bay Press Gazette reports Pulaski’s Cody Wichmann received a similar “5/4″ offer.

Before talking on-camera, I spoke with Botz off-camera about the current Phoenix team, whom he’s been keeping up with.

“I gotta keep my options open,” said Botz.

Good situation to have.  Botz is just a junior, he can shoot, play inside, handle the ball.  At 6’6, he can be a physical, down-low presence in high school play (especially Division 3), but has the handle and outside shot to translate into a collegiate small forward.

Botz isn’t the only Mustang getting collegiate attention: fellow junior Kenneth Lowe told me he’s getting some contact from smaller schools, and visited UW-Stevens Point this past weekend.