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THE NEXT LEVEL: Tiger Signees Talk About Upper School Experience
IT WAS A SPECIAL GROUP OF STUDENT-ATHLETES IN THE CLASS OF 2022 AT KING’S RIDGE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL.
Seven athletes signed to play at the collegiate level. They take away fond memories and life-lessons they learned as a Tiger, which has them prepared for the next level.
Running back Ethan Joseph has been the Tigers’ No. 1 option on offense for a few year while being a tremendous leader in the locker room. He is off to the University of Arkansas to play for the Hogs.
“My teachers were amazing and if they weren’t pushing me in the classroom, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities to play at the next level,” Joseph said. “Definitely, the education was special.”
Multi-sport star Charlie Jones starred on the football field, but baseball is his future. Jones signed with Air Force in the fall to play a corner infield position and wields a powerful bat.
“King’s Ridge was a game-changer for me spiritually,” Jones said. “Growing up in the school helped me find God and to play through him.”
Noah Smith, who anchored the offensive line for several seasons at King’s Ridge, is also a star in the classroom. He is headed to John’s Hopkins University to play football.
“Our college counselors have helped me walk through the process every step of the way,” Smith said. “I know what to be prepared for when I step on campus.”
Track and field star John Robinson heads west in the fall to run for the UCLA Bruins. Robinson has been stellar on the oval, in the classroom and behind the camera for the Tigers. He’s a talented photographer.
“It’s all about time management,” Robinson said. “King’s Ridge has been very supportive helping me reach my goals. Balancing academics and track can be challenging but I’ve had great support along the way.”
Traveling and practicing as an elite prep golfer can be taxing.
Jack Schoenberger ran the gauntlet and will be playing next year at Belmont College in Nashville. He also credits King’s Ridge’s flexibility and his teachers working with him during his high school career.
“Balancing both is really tough especially for a high-level golfer,” Schoenberger said. “King’s Ridge has an incredible culture in the classroom. They want you to succeed and will go the extra mile to help you.”
Dean Giacobbe has a nose for the ball. He’s as tough as they come as a linebacker for the football team and a defenseman in lacrosse. He will be heading to Rollins College in Florida to play for the Tars lacrosse team.
“King’s Ridge prepares you for college, whether it be academically, athletically or spiritually,” Giacobbe said. “It’s a special place and I wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere else.”
Kate Ares, who played volleyball and soccer, was the seventh athlete to sign and she is headed to play volleyball at Bates.
Ares credits King’s Ridge with preparing her to be a student-athlete at the next level. The senior chose Bates for the academics as well as the volleyball program and she’s confident she can manage her time well to be successful at both.
Coaches look forward to following Ares’ career at Bates, Coach Corsillo says “Kate is a tremendous athlete, she’s motivated to succeed, and I wish her the best in this next chapter.”
All seven left their legacies, but it’s been the culture within the walls of King’s Ridge that have helped them reach their goals.
HIT THE MAT: KRCS Excels in First Year of Wrestling Program
THROUGHOUT THE 2021-22 SEASON, THE KING’S RIDGE WRESTLING TEAM LIVED BY A BIBLE PASSAGE – PROVERBS 27:17.
“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
That approach is what the first year King’s Ridge wrestling program lived by. When the program started, the expectation was around four to six wrestlers in year one. There were 15.
“Wrestling was at the top of my list in terms of new programs to start at KR,” Athletic Director Crissy Watkins said. “We secured a facility to train off campus, announced the program, and it took off.
The Tigers went on to compete in the 2022 GAPPS State Tournament and finished as the team State Runner-Up.
Walker Harris, Andrew Kiser and Ren Gilmer finished as State runner-ups in their respective weight classes. Harris competed in the 130-pound division, Kiser in the 155-pound class and Gilmer in the 285-pound class.
All were selected as all-state.
In the 142-pound class, Carson Salvatierra took third and Max Moore placed fifth; in 155 Ethan Dorsett placed fourth; in 170 Perry Kolton and Hank Holt took sixth and seventh, respectively. In the 184-pound division, it was Branch Shaw and Mack Halsima taking fourth and fifth.“
Coach Thierry Chau did an incredible job leading our kids and building their confidence,” Watkins said.
“Some might not know that Thierry was a two-time champion in high school, an All-American, and he wrestled on scholarship at Northwestern. He’s coached at some of the best programs in the area as well so we’re fortunate to have him heading up the program.”
Having a banner year in just the first season has brought a sense of excitement about the new Tigers’ sport around the halls of KRCS.
“This first season will always be a memorable one for the school and we expect the program to keep growing,” Watkins said. “We’re looking at fielding a middle school team and finding opportunities to get our Lower School kids involved as well.”