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Coach Hernandez of Tomahawk Named Packer Coach of the Week Published on 11/06/2020 under Sports

The Packers have announced that Sam Hernandez of Tomahawk High School in Tomahawk, Wis., has been named the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week.

Hernandez, in his second year as head coach of the Hatchets, has his team at 2-4 overall this season and 2-3 in Northwoods Conference play. The Hatchets look to even their conference record Friday, Nov. 6, as they close out their regular season against Coleman High School.

Since taking over the team this past year, Hernandez's impact has been felt not only on the football field, but on the whole community. From helping elderly people move to new homes, assisting community members who need help with their yard work, and volunteering at the local Kinship of Tomahawk, the team continues to pursue a variety of ways to help others in need. Not only has giving back been beneficial to the community, but it has also been uplifting for the players.

"I think for a lot of them, it gives them a sense of pride and a sense of doing something for others," said Hernandez. "And as a football program, we want people to come sit in the stands and watch us play, and we feed off of that. So this is an opportunity for us to provide a platform for these kids to do good things for others without anything in return. If we can send the players out into life after high school with that skillset of doing good things to be good people, then that is a great lesson for them to take."

Hernandez graduated from Marshall High School in Marshall, Wis., in 2004. Throughout high school, he participated in football, basketball and baseball. He played nose tackle, running back and kicker under head coach Mike Zimmerman. Following high school, he went on to graduate from UW-Whitewater in 2009. In addition to coaching other high school sports, Hernandez's football coaching career began as an assistant coach for Lake Mills High School in 2008. He went on to coach at Johnson Creek High School in 2013, before being named the head coach of the Hatchets in 2019.

To Hernandez, the Coach of the Week Award speaks to the work being done by the program on and off the field.

"This award is really an award for the kids, the program and my coaching staff. I'm just one person as part of a bigger group. I'm so honored to have our program and have our kids be recognized for this because they do work hard. We've struggled in terms of wins over the last couple of years, but the kids work hard, the coaching staff works hard every week, and we do work in the community and outside of the football field. To see those kids get recognized with other programs around the state, is a really cool opportunity for this program and highlights the really good things that we are doing."

Hernandez and his staff oversee a program of 43 players with 33 suiting up for varsity games. His assistant staff includes Andy Peissig, Jeremy Zimmerman, Aaron Evans, Dave Long, Jon Long, Nick Schertz and Steven Shrigley. In addition to being the head coach, Hernandez is also an English teacher at the high school. Hernandez and his wife, Ashley, have three sons, Derek, Brett and Vaughn.

About the Green Bay Packers High School Coach of the Week Program:

The Green Bay Packers Coach of the Week program supports football outreach efforts by giving high school coaches the recognition they deserve. Nominations can be submitted by 10 a.m. every Monday to Ryan Fencl, Packers football outreach specialist, at coachoftheweek@packers.com. All nominations should include the nominee's name, address, school, phone number and reason he/she is deserving of the award. This year, because some schools have postponed their football seasons to the spring due to COVID-19, the Packers are seeking coaches to be nominated regardless of their teams' on-field performance or whether they are playing in the fall or spring. Rather, the nominee could be honored for how they have turned programs around, how the team has impacted the community, or how the coach impacts the players and their families.

In Other News

Hatchet Senior Day Ends With Bittersweet Loss

Published on 05/07/2026 under Sports It was a bittersweet final Great Northern Conference home game for the Hatchet Seniors at Hatchet Field Thursday afternoon as they would fall to the Lakeland T-Birds, 3-2. Tomahawk jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Aubrey Seubert in the first inning. The Hatchets held the lead until the top of the fourth inning when Lakeland's Addison Trapp hit a single, then had two runners score on an error by Averi Petta. The Hatchets would tie it in the bottom of the fourth on a run-scoring base hit from Autumn Merrigan. However, Tomahawk would surrender the lead in the top of the sixth when Britta Kemnitz singled in the go-ahead run. Lakeland pitchers would retire the final 11 batters of the game to seal the win. The Hatchets would muster just two runs on three hits, while committing four errors. Tomahawk drops to 8-9 on the season and 5-7 in Great Northern Conference play. The Hatchets are back on the diamond Saturday when they travel to Gilman for an invite. Tomahawk's first game will be against Marathon at 10:00 AM. Game Two will be against Mondovi at 2:00 PM.

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Published on 05/07/2026 under News As Northwoods residents head outside for spring cleanup and garden preparations, health experts are reminding people to take steps to avoid common neck and back injuries. According to Aspirus Health, tasks like lifting branches, digging, and repetitive bending can put extra strain on the spine, especially after a less active winter season. Preparation and proper technique can help avoid a trip to the hospital. Dr. Sean MacKenzie says light stretching and simple posture adjustments can make a big difference. Keeping the spine aligned, lifting with the legs, and working from a seated or kneeling position when tasks require bending forward all help. It's also a good idea to listen to your body. MacKenzie notes that many injuries occur when people push through discomfort or rush through tasks. He emphasizes that pain during activity is a signal to pause, rest, or adjust technique. And long-term, Mackenzie says building core strength through simple exercises like planks and leg lifts can help reduce the risk of injury.

Published on 05/07/2026 under News While it was a bit chilly, it was at least sunny, allowing area students to show off their renewable energy skills. Wisconsin Public Service held their 30th annual Solar Olympics on the UW-Oshkosh campus. Nearly 150 students participated from thirteen high schools within the WPS footprint. Northern Wisconsin was represented by Three Lakes, Elcho, Marathon, and Wausau West High Schools. WPS created the Solar Olympics in 1997 for districts participating in the Solarwise for Schools program, which provides renewable energy lesson plans, projects, and teacher training. The friendly competition, hosted each spring, allows these students to showcase their knowledge of solar energy through team and individual competitions. This year's Solar Olympics had 13 events like solar water heater; solar art; and solar jeopardy. According to WPS, Valders High School won this year's competition, claiming gold for a second consecutive year.-Photos provided by Wisconsin Public Service

Published on 05/07/2026 under News Warmer weather will soon draw more people to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, visitors may notice survey crews stationed throughout the forest this spring and summer. The U.S. Forest Service says public surveys are now underway as part of the National Visitor Use Monitoring program. The surveys, conducted every five years, are designed to measure how many people use national forests, what activities they take part in, and how satisfied they are with their visits. Some visitors may also be asked questions about travel spending to help measure the economic impact forest recreation has on local communities. Surveyors, from the University of New Hampshire, will be wearing bright orange vests near signs reading "Traffic Survey Ahead." They'll be stationed at recreation sites and Forest Service roads. Officials say the surveys are voluntary, confidential, and typically take about 10 minutes to complete. They will continue through Sept. 30.

Published on 05/07/2026 under News Today is the National Day of Prayer and several Northwoods groups are among those hosting events today. The formal observance of a National Day of Prayer came from President Harry Truman in 1952. It's now held annually on the first Thursday in May. The goal is to allow participants, regardless of faith or denomination to bring unity to their community and share a common focus while praying for all. National organizers estimate some 30,000 observances around the country will be held. That includes right here in Tomahawk, where the Associated Clergy of Tomahawk will once again team up to hold a ceremony in Veteran's Memorial Park. It's scheduled to begin at 10:30am; attendees are encouraged to bring along a chair. Rhinelander is holding a similar event outside the Oneida County Courthouse getting underway at noon.

Published on 05/07/2026 under News WaWui Bingo in Tomahawk kicked off their summer session by giving away more than $4,000 in prizes. Wednesday was opening night for WaWui Summer Bingo, marking a 38th season. Players filled SARA Park with their eyes on the progressive prize. And two lucky women shared an impressive payout. The final game of the evening features a jackpot that builds each week it's not claimed. Without a winner over the last two months of last season, the prize grew to $3,962 by blacking out the card in the set number. And the odds were in the favor of Phyllis Levake and Janis Beyer. Both players filled their card on the same number. And while they'll have to share the prize, the two still went home with $1,981 each. Proceeds from WaWui Bingo help fund operations and improvements at SARA Park in Tomahawk. They'll be back again next Wednesday. The progressive prize will reset.

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Published on 05/06/2026 under News A traditional youth fishing event in Tomahawk is set to return next month after a several year absence, and organizers have now received approval from the city. Tomahawk VFW Post 2687 is working to revive the Kids Fishing Contest. The event was previously organized by Tomahawk Fishing Unlimited, but went away as the group disbanded. At their meeting Tuesday, the Tomahawk City Council approved the special event application to host the event at their old location in Memorial Park. It will take place on June 6, coinciding with the DNR's Free Fishing Weekend. This was by design to allow adults helping the youth anglers to do so without purchasing a license. Earlier this year, the VFW put out a call for fishing equipment donations to help support the return. The Kid's Fishing Contest was one of four special event applications approved by the Council. The others are annual events with minimal changes: the Rodd Timm Memorial Softball Tournament, the Lion's Club Thrilla on the Grilla, and Tomahawk Hometown Christmas. Each was approved unanimously and with minimal discussion. Council Recap: It was an other routine Council meeting, coming just two weeks after a delayed April meeting to account for the election. Relatedly, they approved two resolutions recognizing outgoing Mayor Steve Taskay and Alderman Dale Ernst. Neither sought re-election. The Council approved an ordinance increase court costs for the Municipal Court by $10. This was in accordance with a change to state statute. The Council approved a state/municipal financial agreement for design work on South Tomahawk Avenue from Somo Avenue to the Wisconsin River Bridge. It's on the state docket for 2032. They also approved a professional service agreement with MSA for the wastewater facilities plan.

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