FOUR SPORT STREAK
Witt Patton keeping busy by playing four varsity sports before heading off to Penn State
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY » It’s safe to say that the Class of 2021 are experiencing a bit of an abnormal senior year. Saratoga senior Witt Patton is taking advantage of the new high school athletics format, by playing as many sports as he can during his final year as a Blue Streak.
“Growing up I tried to play as many sports as I could. When I saw the chance to play four sports during my senior year of course I wanted to do it, it means a lot to me,” Patton said. “To be able to be on so many different teams, it’s just been awesome to have all the boys around and going to practice - it’s been a great time.”
During the fall, Patton usually plays on the boy’s volleyball team. With volleyball being deemed a high-risk sport last summer, Patton didn’t sit around and wait for approval, which didn’t come until January. He joined the soccer team instead.
“This was a first year thing playing soccer, it was my first year playing keeper and it was awesome backing up Tyler Munter,” Patton explained. “He’s an great goalie and an awesome guy. It was a lot of
fun playing with all those guys.”
The soccer team went 6-3-3 overall this past season, falling to Shen in the Suburban Council semifinals.
From there, it was on to basketball season, a sport Patton usually participates in.
“We had a great basketball season, I loved playing with those guys. It ended with a tough loss to Troy in the semi finals, but at least we had a season. We played great and went 12-2.”
Now, because of the arrangement of interscholastic sports this year, those fall sports that were deemed high-risk, were inserted into the Fall 2 category, to be played in-between winter and spring sports in March and April.
“I’d say I’m the Bo Jackson of the modern day era,” Patton joked. “I play all sports and I just love to win, no matter which sport.”
Patton is currently in his final volleyball season with the Streaks.
“When I made the transfer from South Glens Falls to Saratoga, the guys here saw my length, saw my height and asked if I’d join the team,” Patton said about playing volleyball. “I was glad to do it and it was a great decision. I’ve been loving it ever since.”
Though Patton has played a bunch of sports to begin the year, it is the sport he missed out on last spring that he’s truly been waiting for - lacrosse.
“It was definitely tough losing the season last year. We were going to have a really good season and had some high hopes. When the news broke that we weren’t going to have a season we were all crushed. Ever since then we’ve been waiting to get back out on the field and with the new turf that came in I know that boys are ready to play.”
Patton, who also got to play with his brother, Huck, on the soccer team, got a glimpse of that new Saratoga turf last fall, but the moment he’s been waiting for will come later this month when spring sports begin.
“I’d say that my main sport is lacrosse, which is coming up and I’m really excited for it,” he said. “We just had a lacrosse tournament at Afrims, so I’m kind of doing a few things at once and trying to balance that out.”
The senior middie will continue in his father’s and brother’s footsteps by attending Penn State University next fall, where he’ll join the club lacrosse team.
“My brother (Graham) goes there and he plays. We’re gonna get at it so I’m really excited for it,” Patton said.
With his major in finance already chosen, Patton is taking some business courses at Hudson Valley Community College this year to get ahead on his college credits.
For now, Patton will be multi-tasking his way through Saratoga coursework, his HVCC courses, the volleyball season and lacrosse preseason.
“At the end of the day, we want to be section champions. When we’re in the weight room, when we’re practicing, that’s always the end goal. Hopefully we’ll be able to win it this year.”