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ABIGAIL DEAN
Sophomore Isaiah Butcher looks to make a pass into the paint during the game against River Valley on December 8, 2017. The Bulldogs won 79-51.
02.15.18
Isaiah Butcher has a self-proclaimed destiny, one he made when he was around 3 or 4 years old. That destiny is to play professionally.
That isn’t hyperbole, either. The kid who could catch and throw a ball before all the other kids and couldn’t understand why they couldn’t do what he could, would look at his parents and say that playing sports was his destiny.
Things didn’t come easy for Butcher — the youngest of four — playing sports growing up. Whether it was playing his dad, his sisters or his cousins, he wasn’t given any wins. He had to earn them.
When Butcher sat on the varsity bench his freshman year after the junior varsity games, it was a step on his journey of reaching his destiny. When he started getting playing time at the beginning of this season, his sophomore season, it was another step. And when he was put into the Bulldog starting lineup midway through the season, it was another step.
But there can be stumbling blocks on that journey.
Those stumbling blocks come sometimes when the expressive 6-foot-4 forward receives flak from opposing fans and players. His dad, Mark, has a simple reminder: Don’t let them get in the way of your destiny.
“I don’t let him forget that,” Mark said.
“He’s not a guy that’s going to be afraid to take the big shot. He just doesn’t know what fear is.”- Mickey Cozart
Isaiah, who was inserted into Athens starting lineup Jan. 23 to fill in for the injured Dalton Cozart, is a big guy who can play both inside and out. He can shoot the 3-pointer; he can score from the post. He can fill up the scoresheet quickly doing either one. Don’t forget his court vision, which allows him to make a pass — sometimes a no-look one — from the high post to a cutting teammate right on time.
He has made major contributions to the eight-game winning streak the Bulldogs are on. He isn’t afraid to take the open 3-pointer or to take the ball to the hoop.
“He had some sophomore moments, but he’s going to,” coach Mickey Cozart said after Isaiah’s first start. “He’s not a guy that’s going to be afraid to take the big shot. He just doesn’t know what fear is.”
And he isn’t just taking the open 3-pointers — he’s making them. Isaiah is shooting more than 50 percent from 3-point range since being inserted into the starting lineup.
“I just get the ball, and it happens to go in,” he said.
And being able to play both inside and out with ease? All confidence from Isaiah.
“The big men are supposed to come out and guard me, and I can go in and out,” he said. “So yeah, it’s pretty easy.”
For as confident as Isaiah is in his game, his pregame ritual is a stark contrast to that. The public address announcer calls his name and No. 33, then Isaiah rises from the Athens bench, jogs through the line of his teammates and feigns throwing a pitch to a waiting Blake Stover, who then swings an imaginary bat for a home run. And as Isaiah watches the pretend ball sail into the crowd, it is the polar opposite of his confidence — his pretend pitch ends in giving up a home run instead of getting a strikeout.
His confidence probably stems from any hard-fought wins he earned against his family growing up. That confidence also comes from his dad, making sure his son is always at the top of his game.
“He’s a hard worker,” Isaiah said of Mark. “I just want to prove to him that one day I could maybe make it to the pros.”
And no matter where his son is playing, Mark, and the rest of the family — mother Rose and mawmaw Sue — are going to be there watching him, probably the proudest, most confident family in the gym.
“I liked high school sports, I liked college sports, I liked the NFL, the NBA, college ball. But, I’ll be honest with you right now, if my son ain’t playing…” Mark said before trailing off. “I’m so excited to watch him. There’s nothing like watching your son play and doing well at it.”
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This story is part of a series of specially designed stories that represents some of the best journalism The Post has to offer. Check out the rest of the special projects here.