Throughout a school year unlike any other in recent memory for a Racine County athlete, Sam Wagner has been inspired by his hero, NBA legend Pete Maravich, who died four years before Wagner was born.

Personally, I find it intriguing that this gifted athlete has such an allegiance to the past, but there must be something to it.

Wagner, a junior at Catholic Central High School in Burlington, is finishing up a school year that is going to be almost impossible to top.

Start with the football season, when the slotback rushed for 636 yards and 12 touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 318 yards and four scores for the Hilltoppers' undefeated WIAA Division 7 state championship team.

Then it was on to basketball, his favorite sport, where Wagner averaged 9.2 points for a team that recovered from an emotional midseason coaching change to go 14-9 and advance to the sectional semifinals.

But the best was yet to come because Wagner has doubled in track and baseball this spring.

At the state track meet in La Crosse June 7, he earned a medal after running the anchor leg on Catholic Central's third-place 4x100-meter relay. He also received two other medals for serving as an alternate on the Hilltoppers' 4x200 and 4x400 relays.

His dream year could end with another state championship this week when he starts in left field for the Catholic Central baseball team. Wagner, who also started last season on the Hilltoppers' Division 4 state championship team, is hitting .387 with 18 RBIs and has scored 19 runs.

Wagner obviously has the athletic genes. But he also has the memory of Pistol Pete to inspire him.

"He was such a hard worker and he just didn't stop," Wagner said. "He was incredible. He was scoring 40 points a game in college (at LSU from 1967-70) when they didn't even have the 3-point line. That just shows how much dedication he put into the game he loved."

Speaking of dedication, Wagner has arrived regularly at Catholic Central at 6:15 a.m. to lift weights and then run hills with Catholic Central track coach Steve Brandes. After school, it's off the baseball practice and then a night of homework.

"I thought I would have trouble with my schoolwork, but this has been my best year," said Wagner, an aspiring sports journalist. "My GPA has gone to almost a 4.0 and it's usually been a 3.8., so this has been like my best year."

So what has been his greatest thrill this school year?

"I would have to say football," he said. "We just dominated everyone."

TAKING THE HEAT

I've known Chuck Wood since running track for him, quite unsuccessfully, 35 years ago this spring as a freshman at St. Catherine's High School. As impressed as I have been with him over the years, I was never more impressed than early this month, when Wood made a mistake, immediately owned up to it and took the heat.

To refresh your memory, the school's baseball team forfeited its Division 3 regional championship after Wood mistakenly allowed a player to rejoin the team after the player served a one-game suspension for smoking. WIAA rules stipulate that any athlete suspended during tournament play cannot return during the postseason.

Adding salt to this wound is that Kenosha St. Joseph, which St. Catherine's defeated in the regional championship, used its second chance to advance to the state tournament.

Wood could have tried to sweep this whole situation under the carpet and hope that no one noticed. Instead, he took responsibility - something so many people don't do these days.

It's just a shame that he was put into this situation in the first place.

WOULD YOU TRADE FIELDER?

I read once again that the Milwaukee Brewers should trade Prince Fielder for pitching help.

Not that the San Diego Padres would be amenable to such a trade because they are in salary-dump mode, but if they offered Jake Peavy straight up for Fielder, would you like to see it? I asked two Brewer fans whose opinions I value and they both said they would do it in a heartbeat.

I'll reluctantly second their opinions when you consider how much quality pitching can bolster a team. I'm thinking to last year when the Brewers acquired CC Sabathia and way back to 1984, when the Chicago Cubs rode on the shoulders of Rick Sutcliffe to their first postseason berth in 39 years.

But I firmly believe Fielder could go down as the greatest Brewer of all time - and that includes Paul Molitor (my current choice for that honor) and Robin Yount.

I'm betting that Brewers general manager Doug Melvin is going to get something done in terms of pitching help considering how much the NL Central is there for the taking.

Peter Jackel is a reporter for The Journal Times. You can reach him calling (262) 634-3322, Ext. 323 or by e-mailing him at peter.jackel@lee.net