FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Brighton Boggess, Greencastle

Brighton is a senior at Greencastle and participates in one sport, football.

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Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them?

Brighton Boggess: “They’re very important. Especially football. It’s taught me a lot of discipline. When motivation kicks out, discipline is the first thing that kicks in. That’s what I fall back on when I’m down. It’s also taught me a sense of communication and teamwork.”

BG: Talk about football.

BB: “Right now, we just ended our regular season 4-5. It’s been pretty good. I’m excited about the sectional draw. We drew Cascade and we have a good chance against them. I love that I am a lineman; down in the trenches and hitting people.”

BG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in sports?

BB: “Probably just getting my ankles broken by teammates in scrimmages, which is on film, or in games, over-pursuing and getting snapped.”

BG: What does your game day routine look like?

BB: “I’ll wake up on Friday, which is still a school day, around 7:30 a.m., try to take all my medicine, take care of my cats, the normal stuff. I’ll go to school, eat lunch, usually hang out with my girlfriend while we get food and talk about the game. I’ll watch a little film throughout the day to try to prepare. If it’s an away game, I’ll watch some film and take a nap on the way there.”

BG: Coaching changes don’t happen often during a season but happened for the team this year. How has everyone handled the adjustment?

BB: “I feel the team has handled it great. It boosted our endurance and morale. The team has done a good job with the change.”

BG: Do you have any favorite college/pro sports teams or athletes you follow?

BB: “I don’t really watch a lot of sports.”

BG: What else do you do at school besides things involving sports?

BB: “I’m in NHS and was in Latin Club.”

BG: What do you like to do outside of school and sports?

BB: “I like to be with my friends doing anything, whether it’s down at the court, gaming or even shopping; just being with people is what I like to do.”

BG: What are your favorites in movies, TV and music?

BB: “My favorite movie is ‘The Jungle Book,’ 1967 version, animated. I like everything in music and listen to a little of everything. I’m in to sci-fi adult cartoons like ‘Rick and Morty’ and all that type of stuff.”

BG: Are you a person that wants to watch TV shows and movies or stream something from YouTube, Twitch, TikTok etc.?

BB: “I’d do YouTube but I would be gaming before I would turn that or Netflix on.”

BG: What is something you have never done before that you would like to do someday?

BB: “Skydiving or bungee jumping. I like the adrenaline rush like that.”

BG: What is your biggest fear?

BB: “It used to be heights. Now it’s being alone in the dark in an open space like the woods.”

BG: You’ve been placed in charge of making dinner. What’s on the menu?

BB: “I can make a pretty mean grilled cheese. And pancakes. I could make a turkey sandwich. Waffles fall in the same category as pancakes.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

BB: “I have three cats. My family wasn’t keen on having pets but I was coming home from a workout one day, saw a black cat and found a litter under a brush. Every day, I’d come out, feed them and be out there for hours with them. We gave three of them homes, one ran away and I kept my favorite name Bug. Later on, we got a calico named Phoebe and my newest one is a kitten named Melon.”

BG: If your house were on fire, all living things were already out and you have your keys, cell phone, wallet/purse etc., what is one thing you would go back and get?

BB: “I’d grab the picture of me and my grandpa. It’s something I notice myself looking at every single day.”

BG: If you were to describe your personality in one word, what would that word be and why?

BB: “Inconsistent. I can be crazy one day, calm the next and am just inconsistent in the way I treat people.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

BB: “Even though I don’t remember it much, a trip to Hawa’ii. It was a two-week vacation with my dad’s side of the family. It was really nice and super relaxing. I had never seen a black sand beach before and that was something I remembered. My sister lost the rented fins she had because the current was too strong. She was holding the rocks and my dad had to get her.”

BG: What was your favorite school field trip?

BB: “It’s pretty basic but Holiday World.”

BG: How important is support from your family and classmates to your success?

BB: “A lot more important than I realize. I usually am an independent thinker and do things by myself but I have a lot of support from people I care about and that goes underappreciated. They have a big impact on why I’m successful.”

BG: Describe your overall school experience both academically and athletically.

BB: “Athletically, it’s been a amazing. I didn’t quit any sports because I hated the sport or the people but it felt like a lot of work to me especially with the harder classes I take. I’m doing well in school with a 3.83 GPA and will graduate with an honors degree.”

BG: If your school was to offer a class it currently doesn’t, what would you want to see taught?

BB: “I’d want to see a lot more electronic-based course as that will be a big part of the future. We need to know things like how to work spreadsheets and other programs, things that will be important to me in what I plan to do in the future.”

BG: What are your plans for after high school, and what career are you headed toward?

BB: “I’ve been looking into going to Purdue and enrolling in their veterinary program as they have a very good one. If I go that route, I would go to Wabash first for a pre-med degree to get in. If not that, I would want to do something with math, whether engineering, accounting or something along those lines.”

BG: Is it difficult to keep up with your school work being an athlete?

BB: “Yeah. It’s a bigger issue this year than the past few years. I’ve already been here three years and want to get out of here. It falls back to discipline on those times where I think about doing a calculus assignment or play Overwatch 2. You have to get your work done to be able to play anyways.”

BG: Which particular classes and teachers have helped you the most in high school?

BB: “Mr. Hankee. I love the way he talks and holds himself. I love that guy. Mr. Wheeler has helped me a lot with language and syntax, things a lot of teachers don’t go over, as well as Mrs. Burkhalter and Mrs. Berry, my foreign language teachers.”

BG: In the future, once you’ve established yourself, if you had your choice, would you want to live in the mountains, on the beach or in the neighborhood?

BB: “’I kind of want to go for a more mountainous area. Not 15 miles away from everything deep in the mountains but have a nice vibe and be cooler all year around. That’d be nice.

BG: Do you think high school has gone fast, and are you going to miss it?

BB: “High school has gone fast. Can’t say I’ll miss all aspects of high school but I’ll miss my friends, a lot of my teachers and the time I spent here with sports. Going through it on a day-to-day basis makes you feel like you won’t miss it as it feels regurgitated and a little annoying but looking back, I’m sure I’ll miss it.”