VIDALIA — Ask Josh Welch what he liked about high school, and he’ll talk about sports.

During his time at Vidalia High School, Welch played basketball and baseball, and attended nearly every sporting event he could.

And, while he gives off the appearance of being a fairly laid back guy, maybe it was the competitiveness of sports that drove him to work hard to be No. 1 in his class, and when he walks the stage at graduation, it will be as valedictorian.

“I knew I was No. 1 in my class at the beginning of the year, and it was something I wanted,” he said.

Welch said he doesn’t consider himself the smartest in his class, and he doesn’t mind saying that he worked hard to get to be valedictorian.

“I have always done my work, no matter what,” he said. “If it was 100 problems, everybody would complain, but I would do it.

“It doesn’t matter if it is something you think is stupid, if you have to do it you have to do it.”

He’s made one “B” this year, but all through high school Welch was able to maintain a straight-A average.

“Good grades don’t come easy,” he said. “I have always taken pride in making straight As.”

For the present, he’s working at Hometown Sports in Vidalia, but he plans to enroll at Louisiana Tech University in the fall.

Part of the reason he wants to go to Tech is that, as far as universities go, it’s not that big, and he said he’s enjoyed being a part of a small school at VHS.

“I like that you know everybody, that everybody knows who you are,” he said.

At the moment he’s undecided about what he will study, but he’s considering sports medicine or sports business.

“I have always liked sports, always played sports,” he said. “I think it would be great to get a job with a college team, something to do with the training or the business, to work with the team, to get to know them.”

Josh is the son of Todd and Cristi Welch.