Trinity’s Boothe balances three sports with academics

Published 12:02 am Thursday, March 20, 2014

brittney lohmiller | The Natchez Democrat Trinity junior Wyatt Boothe plays football, basketball and baseball as well as maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

brittney lohmiller | The Natchez Democrat
Trinity junior Wyatt Boothe plays football, basketball and baseball as well as maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

NATCHEZ — Always ready to deliver a punch line, Trinity Episcopal Saints all-around athlete Wyatt Boothe has a personality that’s labeled him easy-going.

Besides hunting and playing golf in his free time, Boothe spends most of his day “goofing off” with his friends.

“I’d say about 10 percent of my day is spent being serious,” Boothe said with a wide grin.

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Though Boothe enjoys joking around in his spare time, he’s as serious as they come on the field and in the classroom. Trinity head baseball and football coach Zach Rogel has seen the senior’s work ethic hidden behind Boothe’s comedic performances.

“He’s a guy who literally plays every sport,” Rogel said. “He never has an off period and maintains a 4.0 with honors. That speaks for itself.”

Boothe, who is the son of Leo Boothe and Kim Boothe, said he tends to cows and goats on the family farm along with going to school and playing sports. And while sports are one of his many passions, he’s not necessarily a fan of sitting through a game.

“I don’t really watch any of these sports,” Boothe said. “I’m more of an active person.”

Along with being a member of the National Honors Society, Boothe plays in the outfield for the Saints baseball team, and is a forward on the basketball team; He’s also preparing to be Trinity’s quarterback in 2014.

Rogel believes Boothe’s leadership will be heavily counted on next season.

“He is a leader, and that’s something that he has to be next year,” Rogel said. “I don’t think he’s where he needs to be yet, and that’s a good thing because he’s going to have to follow Michael Whitley as quarterback next year. The quarterback is the leader. He’s going to make the engine run.”

Through playing sports, Boothe has learned that “things don’t always go your way,” and that’s why he’s focused on excelling in the classroom.

“What you do in the classroom will always stick with you, as opposed to what you do on the field,” Boothe said.

As a junior, Boothe is aspiring to be like his older brother, Joey Boothe, who “seems to have life figured out.”

“My older brother Joey does pretty good,” Boothe said. “He’s living up in (Washington) D.C. I wish I was a little more like him.”

Boothe hopes to attend LSU and law school after graduation.