It’s not often that a student can claim to be the third generation to attend a high school. Hunner Boswell, 18, is the third generation of his family to walk the halls of Jordan Vocational High School. Both his parents and one set of grandparents graduated from Jordan, but Boswell’s time as a Red Jacket almost didn’t happen.
The 5’11” centerfielder for the Jordan Red Jackets baseball team started his freshman year at another local high school because of his interest in its engineering emphasis. Boswell, who has played baseball since the age of 5, loves everything about the game and felt he would be able to continue his preferred sport there as a freshman, too.
Somewhere along the way, Boswell realized he just didn’t feel like he was where he needed to be. Long story short, the athlete transferred to Jordan after just a few months. The decision, while right for Boswell, had one major drawback.
“I couldn’t play on the varsity team that year because I was ineligible due to the transfer,” said Boswell, now a senior at JVHS. “It just about killed me to not be able to play.”
Jordan’s baseball program has a rich history and a long tradition of producing good athletes. Head coach Tony Dimitri, now in his sixth season with the Red Jackets, is also a third generation Jordan graduate and actually played baseball at the school under the direction of his father, Anthony. Boswell’s mother attended JVHS at the same time as Tony Dimitri. When Boswell made the decision to come to Jordan, Dimitri was pleased to add him to the junior varsity roster with the anticipation of Boswell contributing at the varsity level later.
While Boswell was frustrated about his inability to be a member of the school’s varsity team for the 2014 season, he soon discovered another benefit of attending Jordan: the school’s vocational programs. In fact, Boswell knew his interests in engineering and architectural drawing could be developed in some ways at Jordan, but eventually he experienced a new field that completely captured his attention.
“Metals,” he said. “When I started working with metals, I fell in love with it. It’s hands on and something I found to be not only interesting but something I am good at doing.”
As part of the SkillsUSA program at Jordan, Boswell has done well. He place second his freshman year and first the last two years in the Perry National Fairgrounds for the program. His composition was the SkillsUSA Georgia Recruitment display. He went to Atlanta to compete in the state SkillsUSA architecture design contest and placed in the Top 10.
In some ways, Boswell sees baseball and the vocational studies as being similar. Both use concepts that are hands on and require discipline. He also feels being able to see something before it becomes a reality is useful whether on the baseball field or working with metals. Boswell has a sense of confidence in his abilities that doesn’t come across as bragging but as someone who is just comfortable as an athlete and craftsman.
This confidence combined with true athleticism enabled Boswell to be a varsity starter for the past three seasons. He has exceptional speed in the outfield and described his own strength as being able to provide the mental stability needed for true teamwork to succeed.
“It’s not about you,” Boswell said. “It’s about doing your job well enough that it benefits the team, and maybe in the long run, that benefits you.”
His coach nodded in agreement.
“It’s hard to teach high school players about playing the game,” Dimitri said. “They don’t understand about making plays for the team as opposed to playing for themselves. Play the game.”
Because of his speed, Boswell bats first in the Red Jacket lineup. He produces good results as the leadoff batter, and in the words of his coach, Boswell is “able to put a drag down” when it’s needed. Last season his batting average was .325, and he was 25 for 25 in steals and scored 31 runs. These feats helped him to be named to the 1st Team All Region for the 2016 season. He has steadily made progress as an offensive player since joining the Jordan program.
“He was always a great outfielder that can run,” Dimitri said. “He has improved in hitting over the last three-and-a-half years. That was an area he struggled with coming into our program. But over time and understanding how to create pressure on the other team, he has become a better offensive player. He is now taking pride on the offensive side of the game also.”
Because of his skills on the field and in vocational studies, Boswell is looking at the unique possibility of, upon graduation, attending a technical college where he can play baseball while he pursues his passion of working with metals. He also attracted the attention of some military recruiters as his vocational abilities are much sought after in today’s military.
“There is one school I am interested in where I can play baseball and be in a technical program,” Boswell said. “If that doesn’t work out, the Marines are a possibility. The Air Force is another. They have been real interested in what I am doing here.”
No matter what happens after his graduation in May, Boswell has no regrets about making the move to Jordan his freshman year. He missed a season of baseball, but in the long run, the senior feels he hit a grand slam.
“When I walked into Jordan for the first time, it felt right,” he said sincerely. “It was like I fit. To me, it felt like home.”
Jordan Vocational High School
Columbus Valley/February 2017
Written by: Beth Welch | Photos by: George McDuffie
3rd Generation Red Jacket Looking for Big Season
