Nearly two months into the school year, the South Kent School athletic teams have already provided memorable moments on the pitch, the ice, and the race courses. The School’s athletic program has been intentionally designed to build character and a passion for the game while supporting student-athletes as they train and compete at every level. With great leadership on the coaching staff and players who devote themselves to getting stronger and growing together, the Hillside is the place to be for every type of student-athlete.
This fall, the Prep Soccer team is riding a new wave with Colin Hodge as the new head coach, who has had instant success. With three-quarters of the season complete as of October 19, 2023, he has helped the Cardinals earn a 8-4-3 record, coming off a thrilling win at home against Bridgton Academy in front of a large crowd during Fall Family Weekend. Despite the team expanding over the course of the season, Coach Hodge is impressed with the way the boys have come together as a team and exhibited a relentless, competitive pursuit over a full 90 minutes. The Cardinals look to build off of their accomplishments over their last three regular season games, two of which will be on home turf at Farr Field.
Hockey continues to be an integral part of South Kent’s athletic tradition, preparing student-athletes on and off the ice for the demands of the college and professional ranks since the sport was played on Hatch Pond in the early 20th century. This year, South Kent Hockey has taken another step to keep this narrative alive by establishing the AAA Hockey team, coached by Head Coaches Rich Brande and Dillon Duncan and Assistant Coaches Jason Lefevre and Ross Leblond. The new program is made up of students of all grade and experience levels who want to develop and compete in a AAA league. This year’s team is slated for a competitive 30+ game schedule against prep schools and club teams predominantly based in the Northeast, with a week-long trip to Montreal planned for January against the illustrious Somang Academy. The 15O, 16U, and 18U teams are proving to stack up against their loaded, club team-styled schedule, as all three have at least a .500 winning percentage or better. The 18U team stands out in front of the pack with a 12-5-1 record as of October 19.
South Kent School offers a variety of other sports to cater to the interests of the entire student body. Students are given the option to do Mountain Biking or Cross Country. The Mountain Biking team, led by Coaches Eric Leitz and Anthony Tyburski, just hosted their most recent race, which invited over 100 racers to South Kent’s impressive and challenging 8 miles of backcountry trails. Cross Country has had two races at Oakwood Friends School and the Forman School as they look ahead to their next race at Marvelwood School on October 25.
As we progress to the second half of October, we are less than a month away from tipping off the basketball season, as the Cardinals will have a Prep Team, a Development Team, and a Thirds Team representing South Kent. The Prep Team will play 30 games, consisting of a prep school schedule and national powerhouses such as IMG Academy, which will be played at the National Prep Showcase. The Development Team will play against varsity teams of prep schools across the northeast, and Thirds will play a handful of games against local prep schools such as Kent School, Marvelwood, and more.
To keep up with South Kent School sports teams, please visit the athletics team pages on southkentschool.org or our follow the School’s sports social media accounts: @southkentsoccer @sksahockey @southkenthoops.