With 13 official university acceptance offers to consider, Birmingham senior Peyton Waters has made a major decision to attend the University of Washington and join the #5 ranked undefeated Huskies football team. As a member of the graduating class of 2024, he is planning on graduating early in December after finishing this year’s football season. This talented athlete is a shining star on both the varsity basketball and football teams, standing at 6’2″ and weighing 171 lbs. Waters wears #17 on the football field and #13 on the basketball court.
According to Ryan Sostman (12), his teammate in basketball, “he is a great friend and a great player.” Among other offers, Waters has been awarded scholarships from Colorado State, the University of Utah, USC, the University of Oregon, Stanford University, UCLA, and, of course, the University of Washington.
With Waters leading the way, Birmingham’s football team (7-2) is currently ranked #1 in the CIF City Section with preseason victories against Royal, Oak Park, and Hueneme. Birmingham lost games to both Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Steele High Schools in the preseason. Flying out to play against Steele High School in Cibolo, Texas was the first time in their program history that the Patriots went out of state, which is a rare occurrence for Los Angeles City Section Programs. In West Valley League action, Birmingham is currently undefeated at 4-0 with convincing victories over Granada Hills, Chatsworth, El Camino Real, and Cleveland.
Although Birmingham’s victories were a result of teamwork, Waters differentiated himself from the rest of the team. Waters stated, “It feels good to be playing for Birmingham because the coaches help me get better.” Noteworthy players who play for Birmingham include Kingston Tisdell (11), the quarterback, Maynor Morales (12), tight end, Eddie Plaza (11), an outstanding linebacker, Cayden Chapelle (12), defensive back, and Emiliano Carlos (12), linebacker, and others. Tisdell (11) stated that Waters is “amazing on the field” when asked how Waters was playing.
Getting an athletic scholarship is a remarkable achievement and Waters has 13 scholarship offers. Athletic scholarships are scholarships awarded to an athlete because of their outstanding ability to play in a sport. Waters really appreciates the opportunity to accept scholarships. He stated, “It feels good getting offers after putting in the time playing.”
Football players can begin their sporting careers either at a young age or later in life, and Waters began his football journey at an early age. He started playing football when he was six years old and it runs in his family. Many people have various favorite NFL teams, but based on his statements, Waters has expressed that he does not yet have a favorite NFL team.
Choosing a career path can be challenging, especially at a young age. However, Waters knew that football was what he would do when he first started playing for BCCHS. When Waters played his first game at Birmingham, he stated, “I was nervous playing on Varsity as a sophomore.” When asked about his motivation for playing, Waters shared that just knowing that he can get better motivates him. In addition to being a skilled athlete, he also excels academically, serving as an inspiration to many. Peyton definitely has a bright future ahead of him.
