The 2011-2012 has been a historical high mark for the TKA boys and girls soccer teams.  The girls’ team won their 6th consecutive district tournament last week defeating Lincoln Park Academy by a score of 3-1.  On Tuesday night, the team defeated a tough Ft. Myers Bishop Verot Team 4-2 in the regional quarterfinals at TKA. Tonight the Lady Lions travel to Sarasota to play Cardinal Mooney in the regional semifinal game at 7 p.m.

Led by five seniors, the team is blessed with youth and great prospects for the future, as well.  Seniors Bailey Mudrick, Jerusha Pervenecki, Monique Belanger, Danielle Hurme, and Phelan Johnson lead a team that has no juniors, a wealth of sophomores, and some highly-talented freshmen and 8th graders.  Sophomore Sarah Collins leads the team in scoring with 12 goals and 7 assists, and senior Danielle Hurme has added 7 goals and 9 assists.  Mudrick and Pervenecki lead a defense that has earned 9 shut outs with Goalkeeper Rachel Spell protecting the goal for the fifth year in a row – and achieving a 1.06 goals against average.

The TKA boys varsity soccer team made history last night by defeating The Benjamin School 2 to 1 to win their first ever District Championship.  The team was led by Bobby Pappas who scored an early penalty kick, and the game winning assist to goal scorer Austin Masi in the fiftieth minute.  The Lions then held on to secure the victory.

The Lions have been led defensively by Nick Bates in goal, and a stellar back four consisting of J.C. Charles (Sr), Luke Mayer (Jr), Paul Schumacher (So), and Travis Gonzalez (So).  The Lions have been led offensively by Lucas DaSilva (So) with a team leading eleven assists, and Austin Masi (Jr) with a team leading sixteen goals.  The team defeated John Carroll and Cardinal Newman in the district quarters and semifinals to advance to the final game.  TKA will host the boys’ soccer regional quarterfinal on Tuesday January 31st at 7 p.m.

The King’s Academy running back Brian Grove was sure he was going to go to an Ivy League school, but he wasn’t sure which one. After visiting Dartmouth last weekend, he decided to play for the Big Green.

“He had a great visit, and that pretty much sealed the deal,” said former King’s Academy coach Craig Dobson, who coached Grove in high school.

Grove (5-10, 195, No. 50 on the Big Board) was also considering Penn, Harvard, Yale and Princeton. He also had offers from The Citadel and Georgia State, a Football Championship Subdivision school, but said he long ago decided to go Ivy. He said his ACT is a 32 and expects to be in the second-highest band of the four-tier Ivy recruiting system.

Dartmouth, which has an early decision commitment from St. Andrew’s tight end Jack Sheehy, gets one of Palm Beach County’s fastest and most productive running backs.

Grove, who has been timed in the low-4.4′s in the 40-yard dash, rushed for 32 touchdowns and 2,988 yards on 440 carries over the last two seasons. His two-year yardage output trails only Glades Day’s Kelvin Taylor (5,354) and American Heritage’s Greg Bryant (3,041) among area ballcarriers.

The King’s Academy has made Heath Nivens, formerly of Jacksonville-University Christian, its new head football coach.

Dobson was 47-18 in his six seasons at King’s Academy, coaching the Lions to four playoff berths.

“The transition in coaches can be challenging, especially when you have a great coach in Coach Dobson leading your program,” King’s Athletic Director Adam Winters said. “Heath is a strong leader and I believe that he possesses the experience, enthusiasm, and drive to build on The King’s Academy football program.”

Nivens, an offensive-minded coach who will likely use the spread, went 34-16 in five years at University Christian. He was previously head coach at Ben Lippen School in Columbia, S.C. from 2003-07. His teams have gone to the playoffs in six of his nine years as a head coach.

He was also an assistant coach (running backs, kicking game) at West Texas A&M from 2001-02.

Nivens got into coaching directly after playing for Lou Holtz at South Carolina. He was a walk-on offensive tackle for the Gamecocks, who defeated Ohio State in the Outback Bowl and were ranked 19th in the country during his senior season, 2000.

Nivens is a native of Irmo, S.C. He and his wife, Kristin, have been married for seven years and have one child, Cullen (2).

He becomes one of the area’s youngest head coaches, behind Fort Pierce Central’s Josh Shaffer (26), Village Academy’s Don Hanna (27) and Santaluces’ Daryl Drinkwater (28) and Forest Hill’s Chris Kokell (32).

As TKA students returned to school after Christmas vacation, they were treated to a special
guest speaker during their chapel time, TKA alumna Megan Fraga ’07. Megan, who works
with Partners Worldwide, was TKA’s Homecoming Ministry Focus this year for which the
students raised more than $5,000 through their Homecoming efforts. She joined with Partners
Worldwide to participate in a one-year Program Management Internship in Liberia where she
is instrumental in helping local entrepreneurs by providing capital and business mentorship to
stimulate commerce all while spreading the love of God through partnership with local churches.
Megan shared the path that led her initially to Sudan and now to Liberia as well as the lessons
she has learned from following this path including the insight she has gained from her life
experiences in these civil war torn nations. As Megan spoke to the students, her heart for the
people of these countries was very evident as was her desire to help them become self-sustained
entities. Megan shared, “It is my strange affinity towards challenge, my love for Africa, and
my enthusiasm to serve Christ that I believe is leading me.” Megan’s family still resides in
Wellington and her brother Zach is a senior at TKA. Students were blessed to hear of Megan’s
adventures, especially considering she had been sitting in their seats just a few years prior; they
could see that one person can make a difference in this world.

The King’s Academy is a nationally recognized private Christian school serving approximately
1,200 students from preschool through twelfth grade and is accredited by the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools, the Association of Christian Schools International, and the
Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. The King’s Academy serves students and
their families across Palm Beach and Hendry Counties at its main campus at Belvedere Road
and Sansbury’s Way in West Palm Beach, its Clewiston campus on Caribbean Avenue, and its
satellite preschool campuses in Greenacres, Palm Beach Gardens, and Royal Palm Beach. More
information about The King’s Academy is available online at http://www.TKA.net.

TKA was honored to have Congressman Allen West speak to the junior and senior classes on
their first day back to school following Christmas vacation. Congressman West eloquently
discussed his personal background growing up in Atlanta, Georgia and serving as an officer in
the U.S. Army as well as delving into current issues facing our government today. It was
particularly poignant that he opened and closed his address with professions of his faith,
encouraging students to start each day, as he does, reading a daily devotional In God We Still
Trust. He added to the assembly’s closing prayer his thankfulness for schools that can still freely
pray. Following his speech, he answered many scholarly questions asked by students. He also
remained behind to take pictures and speak to students and faculty individually. This gave senior
Michael Nisip the opportunity to personally thank Congressman West for nominating him to
the United States Air Force Academy and senior Kimmy Ruch thanked him for her nomination
to the United States Naval Academy. It was truly a pleasure to host Congressman West on our
campus and allow our students the opportunity to personally interact with this distinguished man
of faith.

The King’s Academy is a nationally recognized private Christian school serving approximately
1,200 students from preschool through twelfth grade and is accredited by the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools, the Association of Christian Schools International, and the
Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. The King’s Academy serves students and
their families across Palm Beach and Hendry Counties at its main campus at Belvedere Road
and Sansbury’s Way in West Palm Beach, its Clewiston campus on Caribbean Avenue, and its
satellite preschool campuses in Greenacres, Palm Beach Gardens, and Royal Palm Beach. More
information about The King’s Academy is available online at http://www.TKA.net.