Auburn Riverside High School senior Cade Huffman was selected as the 27th Volney Meece Scholarship by the Football Writers Association of America, according to a Feb. 1 announcement.

The scholarship is a four-year $1,000 annual grant in the name of the late Volney Meece, who was the FWAA Executive Director for 22 years and president in 1971. The scholarship is given to children of FWAA members, a college sports communicator or someone who is ready to start college.

Cade Huffman’s dad is Brandon Huffman, who is a FWAA member and national recruiting editor for 24/7 Sports and CBS Sports. Huffman is the first student from the state of Washington to be awarded this scholarship.

“This is a great honor,” Cade said. “My dad has been in the FWAA for a while, and journalism has been a part of my life for several years. The scholarship will definitely go toward college tuition, with the potential for going out-of-state,” Huffman said in a statement to Alan Schmadtke, a writer for FWAA.

Cade Huffman plays baseball and football for the Ravens, and off the field, represents the Avery Huffman DPIG Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to eliminating diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, which is an aggressive brain cancer that took his then 7-year-old sister’s life back in 2016 after a seven and a half month battle.

“Cade impressed me with the thoughtfulness and poise he displayed in his application,” said one of the scholarship judges. “He seems like an ambitious young man who has already had to overcome some tough times in his life, and I’m excited to see how this scholarship helps him fulfill his dreams.”

Added another judge: “Cade already has experience in and around the sports communication field and has gained a great sense of what it takes to succeed. He understands what storytelling is about.”

Huffman is considering five schools, according to the FWAA: University of Washington, Baylor, Miami (Fla.), Missouri and Michigan State. He plans to enroll in the fall.