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Kettering Alter QB picks Miami over OSU
COMPETITION LURES ALL-STATE QB
AUSTIN BOUCHER TO OXFORD, OHIO;
‘I HAVE A CHANCE TO THRIVE AT MIAMI’
THEY’RE NOT BOOING … THEY’LL YELLING
FOR BOUCHER (PRONOUNCED boo-SHAY)
It’s 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009, and I’m on the telephone with Kettering Alter High School quarterback Austin Boucher, who plans to sign a national letter of intent to play his college football at Miami University in Oxford.
When I dialed him up, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect because his high school coach — Knights legend Ed Domsitz — had just told me that Ohio State coach Jim Tressel had called Boucher the night before with a scholarship offer from the Buckeyes.
Miami or Ohio State? What’s a quarterback to do?
“You tell me,” Boucher said. “It’s a tough situation. I’ll talk it over with the family and see what happens. I’ve got to weigh all my options and see how things play out.”
Austin’s twin brother, Collin — Alter’s senior linebacker who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2008 opener against Kettering Fairmont — had already committed to Miami. And that was a factor.
“Oh, heck yeah,” Austin said. “That has some influence, but at the same time it’s my decision, so I’m gonna do what I want to do. As tough as it is, I’ve got to do what’s best for me.”
Austin said he’d call me back between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. with his final decision. He didn’t wait long. He dialed me up about a half-hour later.
“I just got off the phone with coach Tress,” Austin said. “Nice guy. I told him what was up, how I was feeling and I’ve decided to stick with Miami.”
How tough was it to tell Jim Tressel no?
“It was really huge,” Austin said. “After I got the call last night when they offered me, I stayed up late going back and forth on what to do. I slept on it, prayed about it and then made my decision.
“It was definitely hard giving coach Tress a call, saying, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’ But I’ve got to do what’s best for me. So in the end, it just came down to a selfish reason.”
An opportunity to play.
Not wanting to be buried behind OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Boucher figured the best fit was Miami, where he’ll be a cornerstone for first-year head coach Mike Haywood, Notre Dame’s former offensive coordinator.
“Ohio State wouldn’t have offered me unless I could play at that level,” Boucher said. “That definitely gave me some confidence because I know I can play at that level. and it was just kind of reassuring.
“I know there’s competition wherever I go. But the opportunities at Miami are what best suit me. I have a great chance to thrive at Miami. It’s competitive through and through, and I’m excited about that.
“Coach Haywood is a class act. He’s a very disciplined guy, which I love. He’s a guy who will get the whole program back to where the tradition was. He’s also very personable. He’s exactly what every player wants in a coach.”
A 6-foot-1, 205-pounder, Boucher completed 129 of 191 passes (.675) for 1,702 yards, 22 TDs and three interceptions, and rushed 120 times for 892 yards in leading the Knights to the 2008 Division IV state championship.
“Austin does everything you would hope a quarterback would do,” Alter coach Ed Domsitz said. “He’s just got a great competitive attitude. He provides leadership, accuracy throwing the ball and good judgement. On top of everything else, he can run my wishbone. He’s just got all the tools.”
Twin brothers headed to the same school eases the pressure on their parents, Richard and Lisa Boucher.
“That’s awesome,” Austin said. “Being able to play Division I football with my brother will be quite a treat. He’ll rehab his knee for a year and I think at Miami you’ll see ‘Boucher’ on the jersey on both sides of the ball.”
IN ALTER COACH ED DOMSITZ’S WORDS:
“If there’s anything that drove me crazy about Austin, it’s that he always has the ball in his hands and he’s always throwing the ball. Whenever I look around, even inside a lot of times, if there’s a football, Austin’s got to have it in his hands. He never puts the football down. I have never had a kid just throw the ball as much as he’s thrown it in the four years in whatever situation. He’s out at practice early, throwing the football with whoever would go out there and catch it. He stayed after practice and threw. He does about everything you would hope a quarterback would do.”
AUSTIN BOUCHER AT-A-GLANCE
• School: Alter High School
• Year: Senior
• Position: Quarterback
• Ht./Wt.: 6-1, 205
• Birthday: March 21, 1990
• Full name: Austin Richard Boucher (pronounced boo-SHAY)
• Nickname: “A.B.”
• 2008 honors: Led the Knights to the Division IV state title … earned first-team All-State and tri-Division IV offensive player of the year honors with Dwight Macon (Steubenville) and Micah Hyde (Fostoria) … named co-GCL North Division player of the year with Alter tailback Chris Borland.
• “I love football. It’s my biggest passion.”
“AUSTIN BOUCHER’S FAVORITES”
• Stadium (other than Alter’s home field): “Fawcett Stadium in Canton.”
• Rival: “Fairmont.”
• Subject: “Science (chemistry).”
• Football team growing up: “Dallas Cowboys.”
• NFL player growing up: “Troy Aikman and Steve Young.”
• Restaurant: “Chipotle. You’ve gotta love Chipotle.”
• Meal: “My birthday dinner is where I get king crab, steak (filet mignon), twice-baked-cheesy potato and vanilla ice cream with fudge on top — just to wash it down. All props to my grandma.”
• Music and artist: “I’m big on rap. I like a lot of artists, but my favorite is Tupac Shakur.”
• Hobby: “Sports. Anything active. I’m big into basketball, video games, hanging out with friends and listening to music.”
• Late-night snack: “My famous bagel turkey sandwiches. Anytime I’m hungry, I don’t care if it’s 2 or 3 in the morning, I’ll come downstairs and make my own turkey bagel sandwiches. You toast it and get that crisp-crunch exactly the way you want; put some honey mustard on there; you get some maple honey turkey with some swiss cheese … it’s delicious.”
UNTIL NEXT TIME…
This is “The Chickster” saying, “Make Love, Not War; Give Peace a Chance; and Strawberry Fields Forever.”
For more on Chick Ludwig, go to:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/chickludwig56#h150-309
Contact Chick Ludwig at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@daytondailynews.com
Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment | Categories: Football live update
Comments
By eric miller
January 29, 2009 12:25 AM | Link to this
way to go Boucher! great and smart decision, you will not forget. way to go coach Haywood!By eric miller
January 29, 2009 12:26 AM | Link to this
way to go Boucher! great and smart decision, you will not forget. way to go coach Haywood!By Matt
January 29, 2009 1:09 AM | Link to this
I’d pick Miami over OSU too. OSU is a dump of a campus.By Bud
January 29, 2009 4:37 AM | Link to this
OSU must need a QB for the scout team because there is no way this kid could play in the Big Ten.By Dave
January 29, 2009 8:14 AM | Link to this
Excited to see him in the Ox. It will be a good fit all around. You can get your turkey bagels at “Bagel and Deli” on High Street…a Miami staple and tradition.By Yardbird
January 29, 2009 8:37 AM | Link to this
Dave: Next time in the Bagel & Deli, try a 20/20.By Ed
January 29, 2009 10:09 AM | Link to this
Afraid to play with the big guys huh kid. They would hit too hard.Take the easy way.By sailorsaw
January 29, 2009 10:26 AM | Link to this
Smart choice. Afterall, who wants to go to a bowl game and lose. I see him fitting in better at Miami than at OSU. Good luck.By AlterKnightsNumber1
January 29, 2009 10:29 AM | Link to this
First and foremost, I congratulate Austin for receiving an offer from OSU, it takes alot of talent to do that. Secondly, for all of you critics out there, who say he was “afraid to play with the big boys” or “couldn’t compete in the Big Ten”, I pity you. Obviously, you never saw Boucher on the field; the kid has guts. More guts than many will ever have. He has passion for the game second to none. But above all else, he has the heart and soul of a champion. Miami will be the perfect place to prove it. He will have several years, not just one, to do it. (SIDE NOTE: HIS TWIN BROTHER ALSO COMMITTED TO MIAMI)By jimmie
January 29, 2009 11:47 AM | Link to this
Smart kid.By Confused
January 29, 2009 11:56 AM | Link to this
Didn’t Austin originally verbal to Toledo making Chick’s statement of “honoring his committment” inaccurate? I’m not trying to trash the kid, but I am just confused here. Congrats to Austin and Colin either way.By Peacemom62
January 29, 2009 11:58 AM | Link to this
smart and easy choice! Cradle of Coaches school with a better chance to play! VS. dem OVERATED Buckeyes! “By Paul
January 29, 2009 1:46 PM | Link to this
smart…. not.By TC
January 29, 2009 2:21 PM | Link to this
Congrats Austin…that’s a wise move…and to the critics dogging him??? Give me a break, when was the last time OSU turned out an outstanding NFL Quarterback? Miami on the other hand has turned several big players into the NFL namely the QB in the Superbowl???By Paul Brunswick
January 29, 2009 2:22 PM | Link to this
I’m an old Buckeye who thinks JT made a mistake by not offering Boucher earlier. We have passed up a lot of QB’s who excelled in the MAC and could also excel at OSU. Boucher is a class act and I wish he and his brother well with the Redskins aka Redhawks.By KJ
January 29, 2009 2:37 PM | Link to this
I wish him luck at Miami, but he may not end up playing for another two or three years there either. From what I hear they are loaded at QB, especially with Belton and 3 others. I think he should have chosen OSU who only has one QB ahead of him and that’s Pryor. A lot can happen in two years and I am not so sure OSU wouldn’t move Pryor to WR if they could get a great QB. Austin, you should have taken Tressel’s offer.By PK
January 29, 2009 2:42 PM | Link to this
I am betting the highly touted Justin Zwick wishes that he could go back and make the decision to go MU. Why be buried behind a sophomore incumbent?By Ben
January 29, 2009 3:20 PM | Link to this
It’s not about guts or being afraid for this young man. He just wants to play and he does not want to play wide receiver or back-up to Prior. Besides Miami has a 5-1 ratio of girls to boys. Nice compliment to be invited to OSU none the less.By boxter
January 29, 2009 8:28 PM | Link to this
Great pick. OSU doesn’t need a QB. They have the second coming of Bart Starr, Bret Favre and whoever else in Pryor. Well as long as they don’t play any team rated above the top 25.By Kj
January 30, 2009 10:07 AM | Link to this
All I am saying is that his getting to play at Miami is not a sure thing either. They are loaded at QB. That Belton kid from Northmont will only be a junior this year.By CK
February 2, 2009 6:17 AM | Link to this
He would not have played quarterback at Ohio State. They would have moved him to another position. At 6’1 (maybe) he is not tall enough to play quarterback for the Buckeyes. All this hype about a kid from a catholic school that recruits its players doesn’t mean anything to 99% of us football fans. All the local TV stations make it sound like he snubbed Ohio State ( yea, right). Good luck to him at Miami.By the g
August 30, 2009 12:01 PM | Link to this
I don’t understand the OSU mentality that says “How can you turn down an offer to play for Tressell? Any young man who loves this game as much as he seems to, wants an opportunity to play ball, not warm the bench and hope. As for those who don’t think he has the talent, have you seen him play? He actually does will things to happen and he believes in himself and, after all, isn’t that where it all begins? Good Luck AB