All-American Boy
CENTER TWP — At 4-foot-7 and 68 pounds, Center Township Elementary School third-grader Phoenix Walton has plenty of growing up to do on the football field.
But he's off to a promising start.
Phoenix, the starting quarterback on the 15-player Butler Mites team that reached the United Youth Football League's Super Bowl in the fall, recently returned from the Diamond Sports Group Youth All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach.
“He was one of 60 kids his age selected for those all-star games,” his father and Butler Mites coach Terry Walton said. “There were players there from all over the country.“Most of those kids played quarterback for their teams back home. For these all-star games, you had to try out for that position.”Phoenix was one of two players chosen to quarterback his 30-player squad, Team White. He led his team to an 18-13 win over Team Red in the first game.Team Red claimed a 12-8 victory in the second game.“The players down there ... they were amazing,” Phoenix said. “But I think I was the fastest one.”Phoenix directed a couple of scoring drives, completed a few passes and made numerous tackles from his cornerback position on defense.“Everyone there was fast, strong and competitive,” Phoenix said. “I wasn't nervous. I loved it.”He was selected to play in the all-star games by the CEO of Diamond Sports.“Someone submitted Phoenix's name and we were asked to send down some video on him,” Walton said. “With some help from our league (UYFL), he was chosen to go down there and play.“Phoenix tells all of his friends he's going to play in the NFL someday.”That day is a long way off, of course, but Phoenix will soon get some coaching from someone who's been there.Darnell Dinkins, a former University of Pittsburgh gridder who played tight end for the New Orleans Saints, is based in Pittsburgh and has learned of Phoenix's skill-set.“He's going to help develop him as a football player,” Walton said.Phoenix also plays third base for the Pittsburgh Spikes in baseball. He plays point guard in basketball in the Butler system and for the Caveman All-Stars.He says football is his favorite sport. He scored on a 64-yard run for the Butler Mites' lone touchdown in a 21-6 loss to Pine-Richland in the UYFL Super Bowl.“It's a family sport,” Phoenix said of football.His father said Phoenix “watches a lot of football ... He's probably better in basketball, but football is No. 1 with him.”Walton ran track for Robert Morris University and played basketball for Greensburg Salem High School. Phoenix's older brother, Houston, won the UYFL Super Bowl with Butler's varsity team in October.“My family, my wife's family, we're all sports-minded,” Walton said. “Our boys have been around a lot of sports.”Phoenix will bump up to Butler's junior varsity team in Midget football next year. His father and Mites coach Ron Ruby will also bump up to that team and continue to coach him.“We're going to stick together,” he said.
