Peachtree Ridge: Who Knew?

While watching the grand finale of the state high school semifinals at the Georgia Dome last weekend, Peachtree Ridge's 13-7 win over Warner Robins, two players stood out to me in particular. Neither one was the more highly publicized Cameron Heyward.

The first was Peachtree Ridge quarterback Zack Graham. He stands about 6'4" or 6'5", has a very strong arm, and can really move around. The most impressive thing about him was that he seemed to be a quarterback first, a runner second. And when he did run, he looked like a poor man's Vince Young (which is a huge compliment).

After a little more research, I found that he is a two-star quarterback prospect who is a highly rated basketball player as well. It's hard to tell whether schools have offered him for football or basketball, so maybe somebody can help me out there. Georgia has given him an offer, and I think it's for basketball. It was a little surprising to see him rated so low, so maybe I just saw him have the game of his life, and he hasn't really flown under the radar the way I first thought.

I tell you that to tell you this. The other player who impressed me was Peachtree Ridge's kicker, one of the best high school kickers/punters I've seen since Beers and the Dotsons were booting balls out of Memorial Stadium.

So it definitely came as a shock when I came across an Athens Banner-Herald column by The Greatest Bulldog Ever, Dan Magill, which identified that kicker as none other than Drew Butler, the son of The Greatest Collegiate Kicker Of All Time, Kevin Butler.

Anyway, I hope this kid gets preferred walk-on status at Georgia and follows in his father's footsteps. It would be a great story.

And here's another little tidbit from the article.

Drew wears No. 13 on his jersey. His dad wore No. 5 at Georgia and No. 6 with the Bears.

In an interview with Kevin Monday, I asked him why Drew wore No. 13, and he replied:

"My dad (Joseph Butler) wore No. 13 when he was a halfback at Benedictine Prep in Savannah.