Ben Boone, football
Mapletown High School’s Ben Booen has recently been selected as the male representative in the “Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight” series during the fall sports’ season.
Boone is a senior quarterback for the Mapletown football team, but also is involved with the boys’ basketball and baseball squads.
Out of the three sports, Boone favors the action on the diamond.
“I have been playing baseball the longest, so I would have to go with that one,” Boone stated. “I always liked playing and usually when its baseball season that means the weather is warmer.”
Even though Boone is penciled in as the starting signal collar for the Maples, the senior will occasionally line up at the running back or the wide receiver position, while also playing in the defensive secondary.
“I always tell the coaches that it doesn’t matter what position I play,” Boone expressed. “I just want to be in a position to help the team. I prefer playing defense over offense, but I think most football players are like that. I play safety and it’s just fun to kind of watch all of the action in front of you and be able to dissect certain plays.”
Mapletown posted an above .500 record last season for the first time since the 2005 campaign with a 5-4 record and a 4-4 mark in the Tri-County South Conference.
This season the Maples are 2-2 overall and in the conference through four games.
Boone has noticed a major difference in the football program over the last two seasons.
“It’s a totally different atmosphere from when I started playing here as an underclassmen,” he said. “As a team, we are more confident and we believe in our abilities. We are putting ourselves in better places to win games and it’s a great atmosphere.”
As for goals for this season on the gridiron, Boone and the Maples are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since that 2005 season.
“Making the playoffs is the goal for us,” Boone said. “We have been talking playoffs since the end of last season and throughout the summer. We actually want to be able to host a playoff game and I think it would be great for the school and our senior class.”
Boone, who currently holds a 3.4 grade-point average in the classroom, plans to attend Penn State Fayette next fall and major in Physical Therapy.
As for advice Boone can give to younger student-athletes, he stresses the fact that you can’t relax or take things for granted.
“It’s very simple, you have to do your work,” Boone stated. “You can’t relax or be lazy with your classes. You have to focus on your schoolwork and your grades always come first. Pay attention in class and work hard in practice.”
The “Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight” is designed to recognize the top male and female student-athlete per high school sports’ season (fall, winter, spring for the five Greene County schools.
The student-athletes are selected by the respective schools and submitted to the Greene County Messenger.