Travis's 3rd Round of WPIAL Playoff Football Player of The Week; South Side Beaver Athlete: Jake
Source: Pittsburgh-Post Gazette
Jake Botkin dives in the endzone for a touchdown against Charleroi on November 16th 2018.
Description
Name: Jake Botkin
School: South Side Beaver
Sport: Football
Position: Running Back and Linebacker
Class: Senior
Claim To Fame: Botkin rushed for 138 yards and scored 2 touchdowns n a 26-21 over Charleroi in the third round of the WPIAL 2A football playoffs.
Questions And Answers
What did you guys do right in the win over Charleroi?
Jake Botkin: "We stepped up defensively, and had a great week of practice."
How excited are you that your team has a chance to play for a WPIAL championship?
JB: " I am very excited; the whole team is very hyped about it. But, we're still not satisfied. We're still hungry."
What do you guys have to do against Steel Valley to win the WPIAL Football 2A championship?
JB: "Play perfect and just do our own jobs. We have to execute our blocks, trust our coaches, and finish our tackle."
It probably does not matter where you play the WPIAL championship game at; but, would you rather play the WPIAL championship game at Robert Morris University or Heinz Field? And, why?
JB: "I don't care much; but, I would rather play at Heinz Field because I would like to see what the locker rooms look like, and the Steelers play there. That would be awesome to play there."
Are you interested to play football at any colleges?
JB: "No"
What is the funniest thing that has ever happened during your time attending school at South Side Beaver?
JB: "There has been a ton of hilarious moments on this football team and in school, and a ton of inside jokes. But, I can't go without talking about the trophy microwave. When we played Fort Cherry, they had a microwave of ours from a party in the past; so, we decided to play for that. When we won that game we received the microwave; but, it wasn't in the same shape as we left it a year or so earlier. This microwave was all smashed and busted up with the door halfway off. It looked like a price of scrap metal you find on the side of the road. So, we got out of Fort Cherry's locker room holding that microwave high with pride. The microwave traveled on the bus with us, and it made it on a few social media accounts. We got it back to our locker room and raised it in the shower again and it sat in there in the handicap shower that no one uses. A few weeks later the custodian decides it doesn't belong in there; but, we had to keep it.... of course. So, Coach T convinced them to put it in the storage room. Still confused to this day the custodian can't understand why. Why a microwave?"
What is a Thanksgiving food you must have?
JB: "Mashed potatoes, definitely."
If you could invite anyone to come eat Thanksgiving dinner with you and your family, who would you choose?
JB: "Jimmy Fallon, I probably wouldn't be able to eat anything; I would be laughing so hard."
Who is the best player that you have ever played against?
JB: "There is this kicker from Burrgetttown, I forget his name. But, in that game, we played this year, he kicked a water logged football past the end zone. I have never seen a kicker like that in high school."
What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?
JB: "I don't watch much football, besides film. I barely know any great players."