Eastman — Dodge County's senior kicker Peyton Bush does not say much. He just puts his head down, lines it up, and puts footballs through the uprights. He kicked his 30th career field goal this year to place him top 10 in the GHSA record books.
"It was easier before I was on the list, because now I feel like I have to keep up with everybody," Bush said.
Bush is considered a five-star punter and kicker by prokicker.com, which highlights the top kicker and punter prospects in the nation, and has been named a Ray Guy prokicker.com top prospect twice. However, he is all about the team when it comes to his success on the gridiron this year.
"It’s definitely an honor, like I said I owe it all to special teams. Without them, I wouldn’t be nowhere that I am right now," Bush said.
Bush's career long is 48 yards and he kicked that as a sophomore. His season long this year is 46 yards and he's hit eight of nine field goals in his senior season. As a punter, he is averaging 42.9 yards per punt. Head Coach Rex Hodges recognizes the talent he has at the kicker position.
"Our kicking game this year has really been one of our strong points and he’s got a lot to do with that," Hodges said. "His accuracy is really good ... Our cover team is able to cover because he gets pretty good height on the ball so he’s definitely a plus for us."
Bush appreciates the confidence from his head coach.
"Coach does a pretty good job, when we get in range he goes for the field goal and shows he’s got a lot of trust in me," Bush said.
The Dodge County Indians are 8-1 this year and have scored 51 points this year by kicking. Bush is also excellent in the classroom. He has a 3.8 GPA and said he hopes those high marks and his high accuracy land him a spot on a college roster next fall.