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LEAVING A LEGACY: LSA Seniors Reflect as They Head to Next Level
Xavier Edwards: Football - Army
Xavier Edwards
THE ARMY LIFE HAS BEEN THE ONE XAVIER EDWARDS GREW UP KNOWING.
It was the life his father Wilbert chose for 24 years serving in the United States Army. Now, Xavier will follow in his father’s footsteps.
At West Point – attending the academy and playing linebacker for Army football.
“There’s a lot of people in my family that are in the service. They inspired me to go in,” Edwards said. “I’m very honored because my dad was in the military, and I’ll be an officer when I get out. I want to serve my country.”
For Xavier, football has always been his sport.
This past season, Xavier was named first-team, all-state and earned an academic all-state nod as well. He led the team with 105 total tackles, averaging 9.5 per game and five tackles for loss. Along with those, he collected a pair of sacks, interceptions and fumble recoveries.
“My coaches always ask me what’s my why in football,” he said. “The why is even when you’re having a bad day, football will never change on you.”
So, Xavier is following in his father footsteps, playing football at the next level and being a part of one of the top college football rivalry games in the nation – Army versus Navy.
“I see it on TV and there’s a lot of people that show up to the game,” he said. “Always talking Army-Navy game. It’s a big-time rivalry.
Chase Ferguson: Swimming - Bucknell
Chase Ferguson
AS CHASE FERGUSON PREPARED TO BOARD A BUS TO HEAD TO THE TAPPS STATE SWIM MEET IN 2021, THE THEN-LSA JUNIOR RECEIVED BAD NEWS – HE HAD TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.
Due to the positive test, Ferguson was held back and could not compete for a second-straight TAPPS Division II State Championship with his teammates.
A mere 365 days later, Ferguson got sweet redemption, helping lead Lutheran South Academy to the 2022 TAPPS Division II State Championship, the second of his illustrious career.
“It’s definitely a pretty cool feeling,” Ferguson said. “Going from State Champions sophomore year, not being able to do it last year and come back this year was huge for us and meant a lot.
“That’s the way to go out.”
Ferguson, who is signed to swim at Bucknell University, worked this year to be a leader for his teammates as they chased the crown, but with a dose of major positivity.
“[Get them] excited for the grind, bringing the team together and having a lot of positivity,” he said. “If we could just get that ball rolling, it leads to really good results.”
At State, Ferguson took silver in the 100-yard freestyle (48.75) and gold in the 100-yard backstroke (52.72).
As far as his best memory swimming for the Pioneers?
“Winning State sophomore year, we did not expect that going in at all,” Ferguson said with a smile. “We just went in, performed our best and then some people swam up and we won the whole thing. It was wild.
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Lutheran South Boys Swim Team
Photo by Lily Cox
GOLDEN BOYS! LSA Boys Swim Win Second Title in Three Years
VYPE: To fall short last year and come back and win it all in 2022, did that fuel you all?
HILLEGEIST: Oh, definitely. When they first won State, those boys wanted to win it back-to-back. When they couldn’t get that, they felt a little cheated. So, with the way things were they wanted to come back even better the next year. They wanted it so bad because they knew this was their last chance.
VYPE: What was different about their demeanor and how they carried themselves this year compared to last?
HILLEGEIST: They had a lot of confidence this year. Last year with COVID going on, it was a lot of ‘what’s going to happen with the meet?’. A lot of that threw them off but when they got to be all together and have that team atmosphere it gave them a ton of confidence and energy. They brought it this year.
VYPE: I heard that Luke LeBlanc gave a fired-up speech prior to the State Meet. What does that tell you about LeBlanc as a leader?
HILLEGEIST: Luke is very competitive. So, when he went to the locker room, he told them it does matter what we get. ‘I want to win’. Those boys loved that competitive nature. They got excited. He played football and baseball, so he’s around a lot of those more intense sports team-wise. A lot of people don’t view swimming as a ‘team sport’ and Luke really brought the energy to make it feel that way. Hearing him do that made me feel really good about me having him be a team captain.
VYPE: Chase Ferguson caps an amazing career at LSA, what was it like to watch him do that?
HILLEGEIST: I was lucky enough to coach him from his freshman to senior year. Year-in and year-out he has grown so much. Seeing him going into State, he was like a seasoned veteran. He had a lot of confidence, knew what he wanted to do and he swam exactly how the boys needed him to.
VYPE: Talk me through all the celebration, you being doused by water and shaving your head?
HILLEGEIST: I [saw it coming], they did that to me their sophomore year without me expecting it. I’m big into my shoes, so I told them they need to warn me, and they did. Early in the season, I also made a bet with them for extra motivation that if they won State, I’d let them shave my head at the meet. So, right before we got on the bus, I pulled out a razor and they shaved my head. They loved that. It was a ton of fun for to watch them have that much fun.
Photo Courtesy of TAPPS
