by Garrett Fodor
As summer approaches, Essex District High School began to close out its 2017-2018 school year by recognizing top athletic performers.
On Monday evening, the local secondary high school’s top athletes were invited to enjoy the annual athletic banquet, which was hosted at the Essex Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 201).
Joe Amicarelli, the Physical Education Department Head of EDHS and Head of WECSSAA, believes the athletes on this year’s sports teams should have a lot of moments of which they should be proud. He said the future is bright for many of those athletes.
“I would say we did pretty well. I think we had about six championships. So, overall, it’s been a good year,” Amicarelli said. “We had Milan Lobana win OFSAA gold [in the midget boys’ triple jump]. Our boys’ soccer won SWOSSAA and appeared in OFSAA, which was a first. And, our golf team won SWOSSAA for the first time and placed eighth in OFSAA.”
EDHS has a student population of 730, which makes this year’s student-athlete accomplishments so much greater. A total of 274 student athletes competed as a Red Raider this year.
Amicarelli said he believes the school’s athletic teams will remain strong next year with the teams losing minimal students due to graduation.
Grade 12 student Kennedy Compeau was a standout for the track-and-field and cross-country teams for four years. She will be moving on to the University of Detroit Mercy. Jackson Moore is also headed to the U.S., attending Aquinas College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on a soccer scholarship. Moore spent the last two seasons serving as Essex’s captain.
Earning major awards on the night were Moore, Lobana, Kennedy, and Taylor Compeau. Athlete Montana Wilkins earned honours across multiple sports.
Amicarelli said these performances could not be made possible without the support of the coaches, the parents of the athletes, and the community. He said he is excited to see the athletes continue to grow and compete next year.