13 Wyverns to Compete in College

Friends, families, teachers, and coaches celebrated the 13 Wyvern student-athletes who are headed to compete at the collegiate level in a College Commitment Ceremony on May 19.

Chase Aston is headed to Division I Bryant University to play football for the Bulldogs.  Chase was the team captain and MVP for the Wyverns playing QB and Safety and racking up over 1,000 all-purpose yards on offense while contributing on defense with 45 tackles and 11 pass deflections.  Chase was also named to the Boston Globe Honorable Mention All-Academic Team.  Coach Batory said, “Offensively this year Chase was our primary offensive weapon.  Our leading passer and leading rusher, Chase was a dynamic player on offense helping the team score 30+ points in two games this year.  Defensively, Chase is the definition of versatile. He played Corner, Safety, and Outside Linebacker (no easy task!!) He is a 3-level defensive guy, who can tackle in space, cover speedy WRs, and fight off offensive line blocks at the LOS.  Even more impressive was his leadership of the team. Being a captain of the team, he was a tremendous leader.  It was easy to see the team respected his leadership and he was a positive role model for the young guys.”

Gianna Christiana will be playing Division III soccer for the Johnson & Wales Wildcats next year.  A team captain for both her Sporting CT Club team and KO, Gianna spent five years with the varsity program and was named to the Honorable Mention All-WNEPSSA team.  Coach Sahrbs said, “When you watch G play and see what she is capable of doing on and off the ball defensively and offensively, it is not surprising that she made varsity as a middle schooler.  G anchors our backline and through both an organization and individual effort, she and her defensive line were able to handle most offensive threats that came their way.”

Jared Cotte will be a Charger- playing Division II football at the University of New Haven.  The team captain played on both the offensive and defensive lines.  Coach Batory said, “Impressively Jared was a two-way starter on Offensive Line and Defensive Line for all four seasons! Offensively, he has played every position on the line from center, to guard to tackle.  This takes tremendous intelligence and athleticism.  Jared has always had phenomenal footwork and has always been a fantastic pass blocker.  He was a cornerstone of our offensive line. My only wish next year would be to have five Jareds!  Defensively, Jared was a fantastic interior lineman. Taking on double teams, and rushing the passer, Jared consistently showed improvement in his footwork, technique, and get-off. Just like Chase, what impressed me most about Jared was his leadership.  Being a captain is no easy task and Jared took on those responsibilities naturally.  He is a born leader and the team was drawn to his leadership.”

Dylan Diaz is off to the University of Bridgeport to play Division II baseball for the Purple Knights.  Dylan has played centerfield for the Wyverns.  The baseball coaches said, “Aside from his tremendous defensive ability, Diaz has been an outstanding lead-off hitter for the Wyverns this season.  Dylan leads the team in four offensive categories.  He has a .534 on-base percentage, 22 walks, seven stolen bases, and 20 runs scored on the season.”

Max-William Kanz is headed to Stevens Institute of Technology to play Division III tennis for the Ducks.  The team captain played #1 singles and doubles during his time at KO and lost just two singles matches this season, both third-set super tiebreakers while going undefeated at doubles.  He won the Most Improved Player Award in 2018 and the Coaches Award in 2019, was the KITT champion at #4 singles in 2019 and was this year’s #1 singles third-place finisher and #1 doubles champion at the KITTs.  Max was also ranked Top 10 in New England U18.  “Coach Krugman said, “Any coach will tell you that the ideal situation is when your most talented player and co-captain is the hardest worker on the team with a great attitude.  Max thinks team first while also competing against the best players across our NEPSAC competition.  Max will undoubtedly be an impact player for Stevens next year as a Freshman.”

Arie Lang is headed to Division III Worcester Polytechnic Institute to play field hockey for the Engineers.  A midfielder and Most Valuable Player, Arie was also selected to the NEPSAC Class B All-Star team.  Coach Yates said, “Arie’s natural athletic talent and strong work ethic earned her the MVP award this season.  The team could count on her incredible stick skills and smart plays. She stepped up as a leader and pushed her teammates to be better in all aspects of the game.”

Megan Murphy is becoming a Spartan, continuing her career playing soccer and running track at Division II St. Thomas Aquinas College.  Meg was the captain for both soccer and track and field at KO and won the coaches’ award in soccer.  A sprinter for the track program, she also used that speed on defense for soccer.  Coach Sarhbs said “Meg’s commitment and leadership this year reflects a deep passion and dedication that she has for the sport, but equally how much she values this team, both as a whole and towards individual teammates.  I cannot tell you how proud I am of Meggy’s willingness to constantly go above and beyond to support her teammates both on and off the field.”

Alyssa Pavano will be playing Division III field hockey for the Union Dutchwomen next year.  The team captain, Alyssa was also the Most Valuable Player, KOKO Spirit Award winner, and was voted to the NEPSAC Class B All-Star team.  The forward is headed to Germany this summer to play with her club field hockey team- HTC.  Coach Yates said, “Alyssa was an incredible captain and leader her senior season.  She was our biggest advocate for team improvement and pride.  Her leadership and field hockey knowledge strengthened our team in so many ways.”

Christian Pedro is off to Amherst College in the fall to play baseball for the Mammoths.  Pedro was a pitcher and outfielder for the Wyverns and played first base at times as well.  The baseball coaches said, “Pedro has been an instrumental part of KO’s successful baseball season this year.  Offensively, he is leading the team with a .356 batting average, he has a .500 on-base percentage and has driven in 17 runs.  On the mound, Christian has pitched 10 innings, striking out 12, and has an ERA of 2.03 – all are amongst the best in the Founders League.”

Henry Pelletier is headed to Connecticut College to play men’s squash with the Camels.  The team captain played number one on the ladder for KO.  Henry was also selected as the most valuable player.  Coach Robby said, “Henry was the backbone of the team and played against the toughest competition we saw all year.  We had a fantastic team over the past few years, but Henry was one of the main reasons for our 2020 and 2022 NEPSAC Championships.  I look forward to seeing that same success at Connecticut College.”

Maddox Pierce will be playing soccer for the Saints at Emmanuel College.  The keeper played on the varsity team at KO for three years and was a national semifinalist in the ECNL.  He also wanted to make sure we mentioned his one career goal scored with the jv program.  Coach Hikmet said, “Maddox played for him initially at FSA before coming to KO and has been a valuable member for each of his teams along the way.  I know he will be a great addition to Emmanuel.  Do not forget, that goalies almost never get credit for winning a game but they always are the first to get blamed for losing a game.  No matter how many shots you save, you will be remembered for the saves you did not make.  There will be obstacles, doubters, and mistakes, but with the hard work you have always shown, none of that will be an issue for you and there will be no limits.”

Marrich Somridhivej will be attending Bates College where he will be swimming with the Bobcats.  The team’s Most Valuable Swimmer and captain competed in the breaststroke and sprint freestyle races.  The swim coaches said that the most impressive trait about Marrich is “his ability to help and lead the younger and less experienced swimmers, focusing on the importance of getting better each day at practice and showing it at the meets.  A four-year member of the program, he has led by example and competed at a high level.  Bates will be lucky to have him.”

Lexi Vail is headed to her dream school, Bentley University where she will continue playing softball for the Falcons at the Division II level.  The catcher and team captain was voted to the All-NEPSAC All-Star team twice during her time at KO.  Coach Bradley said, “Lexi was the cornerstone of rebuilding the program four years ago.  She provided a wealth of experience that trickled down to teammates.  Being selected to two All-Star teams with the other two seasons during Covid is a testament to her durability and strength as a softball player.  Lexi absolutely locked the bases down with a 100% success rate for steal attempts and added a walk-off home run in the first game of her senior season.”