RIMERSBURG — A four-year varsity starter for the Union High School basketball team, Lucas Bowser failed to beat out Scott Booth as the program's all-time scoring leader.

He did, however, beat out his own mother.

“That was pretty cool,” Bowser said. “Because everything I learned about the game, I learned from her.”

Bowser averaged 18.5 points per game this season — 10th in all of District 9 — and ended his prep hoop career with 1,421 points. Booth had 1,663.

Bowser's mother, the former Tracie Murray, scored 1,363 points at Union before going on to a stellar basketball career at Clarion University.

“My grandparents have film of when she played and I've watched them,” Bowser said. “She was incredible. I wanted to grow up and play like her, do the things on the court she was able to do.

“We're the only mother-son combo at Union to both go over 1,000 points there. I'm very proud to be a part of that.”

Union athletics in general are pretty proud of Bowser.

He will graduate this spring with 12 varsity letters — four in basketball, four in baseball, three in football and one this spring when joins the track team.

“I'm gonna throw the javelin and shot put,” Bowser said. “Just one more thing to do before I say goodbye.”

Bowser is a left-handed pitcher on the baseball team who will see action at first base as well. Golden Knight coach Ange Salvo said Bowser will bat fifth or sixth in the lineup.

“Lucas will be one of our top two or three pitchers,” Salvo said. “The fact he's left-handed will really help us.

“We lost some seniors in the outfield from last year, so he may see time there for us as well. We have 13 players on the roster and he's one of our veterans.”

At 6-foot-3, Bowser was quarterback of the Union football team for three years. A partial starter his sophomore year, he threw for 556 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 93 yards and seven TDs.

He passed for 1,214 yards and 11 touchdowns last fall.

“He's just a natural athlete,” Union basketball coach Eric Mortimer said. “Schools this size, when you might have 30 boys or so in a graduating class, we need kids to play multiple sports and Lucas plays them all well.”

Bowser said he's enjoyed being such an integral part of the sports scene at Union.

“It's been a plus for me, going to a small school,” he said. “It's special, having the chance to mentor younger kids on these teams and be a leader for them the way the seniors did for me when I was a freshman and sophomore.”

Bowser is carrying a 3.6 grade point average and plans to major in engineering at Penn State DuBois. He will play basketball there as well.

Former Union teammate Cole Morris is a sophomore guard at PSU DuBois.

“Cole told the coach about me. He definitely helped me get in up there,” Bowser said. “It will be fun having him as a teammate again.

“At Union, I did whatever they needed me to do. Sometimes I posted up in the paint, sometimes I stayed outside and shot 3's. They told me I'll be more of a shooting guard in college.”

One thing Bowser won't be doing next year is wearing a Union uniform.

And he will be missed.

“He did a lot of things for us,” Mortimer said. “I think he's the second leading rebounder in Union history, too. From handling the ball to playing in the paint, he was a leader on and off the court, leading by example. It was like having a coach on the floor.

“He's an excellent student ... Lucas is just one of those kids who's been able to work everything in.”

Besides playing three sports, Bowser's other high school activities include the Gridiron Letterman's Club, Round Ball Club, Diamond Club, Travel Club, Physics Club and prom committee.

He's also participated in fund-raising walks for the Alzheimer's foundation, Hope for your Future and Relay for Life.