The second half of our senior year of high school was supposed to be a kind of “victory lap” with lots of fun activities and none of the pressure of school.
Events like Rocking for a Reason, the powderpuff football and senior prom were supposed to fill our days. We were supposed to have plenty of time to say goodbye to our school, our friends and our childhood.
The coronavirus has robbed us of a lot of precious memories. It would be easy to be bitter, but I actually consider myself to be very lucky. Like all the other athletes featured in this series, sports has been a huge part of my life as a Richmond Senior High School student. I know just how much time and effort are required to play a sport at the varsity level.
Fortunately, men’s soccer and football were played in the fall. As a result I was able to receive the full benefit of my commitment to athletics. I was able to experience “Raider Magic” on Friday nights. I was able to have senior night on the soccer field with some of my best friends.
In short, I was able to experience the very best part of my senior year. I have friends on each of the spring sports teams who will never have the chance to make these kinds of memories. I feel terrible for them.
My senior year as an athlete was full of great memories. One of my favorite moments of the year was our win in soccer over Jack Britt. The game was a scoreless nail-biter that went to penalty kicks. Hitting the game winning penalty kick is something that I will always remember.
My senior night in soccer also stands out. There were thirteen seniors on the team this year, and most of us had all played soccer together since middle school. It was great to go out with a victory, especially against Scotland.
Football was full of incredible moments like going undefeated in conference (again) and beating Scotland (again). However, the moment that will always stand out to me was the Myers Park game. I have never experienced an atmosphere like the one in that game.
From the overflow crowd, to the fireworks, to the dramatic come-from-behind victory, that game had it all. I even got hit not once, but twice during the game. Not bad for a punter. Gaining redemption against Myers Park is something I will take pride in forever.
I would not have been able to have any of these experiences without my amazing coaches. In my freshman year of high school I was 5-6 and weighed 130 pounds. I had always played center defensive back in soccer, even though I was probably too small for the position.
Coach Chris Larsen wanted me to move to midfield which was completely foreign to me. Over the course of that season I saw that Coach Larsen was right. I learned how to switch the field and to distribute the ball during that season.
By the time I got to varsity soccer I had hit my growth spurt and was 6-3. I was able to take the skills I had learned as a freshman and apply them to my traditional position at center back. Playing alongside solid defenders like Evan Baxley, and Justyn and Kevyn Leviner, I was able to have a successful season and was fortunate enough to be named All Conference and All Region.
I also owe a debt of gratitude to the football coaches at Richmond. Each of the coaches on the staff played a crucial part in the success that the team enjoyed this year. I especially want to thank Coach Bryan Till.
Football at Richmond is a full-time commitment, and playing two sports simultaneously made that very difficult for me. Coach Till went to a lot of trouble to schedule the special teams portion of football practice so that I could also attend soccer practice. I am grateful for the confidence that Coach Till had in me.
With 24 seconds left in the Myers Park game I had the ball in my hands and had to make a play to help the Raiders win a playoff game. If you grow up in Richmond County then that is the ultimate sports memory. Thanks Coach.
Some of the members of the class of 2020 were lucky enough to make their memories on the field and in the classroom. Others had their memories deferred or denied. The effects of the coronavirus have taught us to appreciate the moment. We aren’t guaranteed anything tomorrow so we need to make the most of today.
The class of 2020 has a unique understanding of this concept and that is what makes us special.
This is my story, but this our year.
