News

As we head into mid-November, fall sports have wrapped up on the Hillside. South Kent’s Prep Soccer and Mountain Biking Teams each concluded their seasons in the first week of November, and the Cross Country team had their final race on Saturday, November 11, at Marvelwood School, competing in the NEPSTA Division IV Championships.

The South Kent Prep Soccer team dropped their final game at Farr Field 2-1 on Friday, November 3, against Putnam Science Academy, splitting the season series. The Cardinals had a solid year, finishing the regular season at 8-6-3. In a year that started with a clean slate, Colin Hodge’s inspirational coaching profoundly impacted the team, bringing out the best in all his players. Trends such as improving against a formidable opponent like Hoosac portrayed the growth and maturity of the squad as the fall progressed; the team lost in their first game 3-1, then tied in their next appearance, and then won by two exciting goals in the final matchup of the season. Coach Hodge noted, “The players worked tremendously hard, and you can clearly see that they all developed as individuals and, most importantly, as a team.” This year showed that South Kent Soccer has maintained its toughness and championship pedigree, giving the program a bright future and a great opportunity to continue its winning tradition.

The South Kent Mountain Biking Team, led by Coach Eric Leitz, finished their season on November 1, as they traveled to participate in the HMBL Championships at Norbrook Farms in picturesque Norfolk, CT. Cardinal racers have been knocking on the door for a first-place finish all year long on the backs of Bodhi Walsh and Max Gerbilsky, and they finally earned the gold from Walsh’s unforgettable efforts on the Norbrook Farms track. Leitz describes Walsh as “a powerhouse who climbs hills and sprints with ease.” 

With five students on the roster–all new to the sport–the South Kent Cross Country Team ran its way through a challenging but successful season. Some highlights include a 9th-place finish by Third Former Zijie Zhou in the Oakwood Friends Invitational (making Zijie the team’s one podium finisher this year), a strong 26th-place finish by third former Jaewon Kim in the midseason HVAL race in Litchfield, and participation in the always challenging Kent Pumpkin Run by Fourth Former Nekhel Mckella and Third Former Gerd Pflucker. The final runner on the squad, Sebastian Teitel, turned in his best performance in the last meet of the season at the Division IV NEPSTA Championships, held this year on a chilly afternoon at Marvelwood School. While it was difficult for the Cardinals to compete on a team level with only five runners and a series of injuries and illnesses, the relatively young age of the squad and their improvement over the course of the season bodes well for the future of the program.