Being prepared is something Cathedral High senior Patrick Beasley learned long before putting on a football uniform. Beasley has been a boy scout for almost 10 years.

&uot;Boy Scouts helps you become a leader and show you how to handle responsibility,&uot; Beasley said. &uot;It makes you a well-rounded person. There are different things we have to do to help younger scouts coming up.&uot;

Beasley, the son of Mike and Diane Beasley, has been prepared in the classroom as well. He has a grade point average of 4.12 due to taking honors and advanced placement classes. He scored a 22 on his ACT.

For his performance on and off the field, Beasley is Cathedral’s nomination for a National Football Foundation Miss-Lou Chapter scholarship.

The 19th annual National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Miss-Lou Chapter banquet will be held Feb. 24 at the Radisson Natchez Eola Hotel at 7 p.m.

&uot;That’s a big honor,&uot;&160;Beasley said. &uot;I became familiar with it when Barr (Biglane of Cathedral) won last year.&uot;

Beasley, who has also participated in baseball and soccer, said competing in sports helped him in the classroom.

&uot;During the sports seasons, I seem to do better in the classroom,&uot; Beasley said. &uot;I have to manage my time better. When I have practice after school, I have limited time to do homework. I don’t really goof off as much.&uot;

Beasley played middle linebacker and tight end for the Green Wave. He is a three-year letterman in football and has also played baseball and soccer.

Beasley is a member of the National Honor Society, Honor Roll, Principal’s Scholar and participated on the school’s Mississippi Colleges’ Science and Math Tournament Team.

Beasley has participated with Cathedral’s Retreat Team and tutors elementary students as part of his service project for the National Hnoro Society. He also earned an Eagle Badge as a member of the Boy Scouts.

Beasley has plans to take up business in college and would like to get into accounting or be a stockbroker. He would like to attend LSU.

&uot;Academics has always been important to me because I knew I didn’t just want to fool around and do nothing when I got out of school,&uot; Beasley said.