MMA Colonels Athletic Outlook for Fall 2020 

At Missouri Military Academy, we believe a routine of challenging physical activity and competitive middle school and high school athletics help young men become better versions of themselves. Through athletics, cadets develop leadership and team building skills, improve their overall health and coordination, increase their self-confidence and discipline and reduce stress by providing a fun outlet to release energy.  

MMA participates in interscholastic sports through the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA). During fall 2020, MSHSAA has approved competitions between schools who are conducting in-person learning, and MMA cadet-athletes are hard at work honing their skills, developing grit and competing to the best of their ability.  

The fall season athletic roster includes cross-country, JROTC Raiders, soccer, swimming and football. Each sport is led by an experienced coach; fueled by strong, talented team players; and backed by the hard work and motivated practice of both.  

Read details for each sport as described by coaches below…  

Cross-Country

A four-time marathon runner and veteran cross-country coach, Coach Chad Miller leads the varsity cross-country team for fall 2020. His coaching philosophy is defined by a simple equation: Hard work + Dedication = Success. 

• Daily Practice: Training on MMA’s 288-acre campus, the team has been building a solid foundation of mileage.  They will continue to build on their weekly mileage, and as they begin competitions, they will focus on improving their pacing and time. 

• Team Captain: Cadet Alexander Thomas is a returning cross-country runner and is doing a great job leading by example. 

• Top Returning Players: Cadet Thomas has a lot of athletic abilities. His experience from last year has carried over to this year, and he has been leading practices while encouraging new cadets to stay focused and work to the best of their abilities. 

• Top New Players: Several  new cadets will step into the varsity top seven for this season.  A couple of those new runners include Cadets Noah Cecil and Ethan Zinser. Cecil and Zinser have been following Thomas’s lead and bringing their best efforts to practice each day. 

• What Cadets Take Away: At the conclusion of the season, Miller wants cadets to appreciate their hard work and what they accomplished and to be proud of their performances and their teammates. 

Learn more about Coach Miller and see the fall 2020 Colonels cross-country schedule. 

 

JROTC Raiders

SFC John Biddle leads the Raiders team, offering experience as a coach and an infantry ranger. He takes pride in providing team-building mentorship and practices, which increase physical and mental grit. He believes these skills will be invaluable in all competitions, as well as future endeavors throughout life, regardless of the career path cadets choose. 

• Daily Practice: Practice consists of daily running routines that develop speed and endurance. Physical team events are similar to what will be required of the team when they compete at a Raider event. 

• Team Captain: Shane Macon (a third-year Raider) and Sun Kit Tsui (a second-year Raider). 

• Top Returning Players: Macon, Tsui, Francisco Jacquez, Victor Patino and Parker Woodruff. These cadets perform well as a varsity team. Also, four of the five have been to Raider national competition. 

• Top New Players: Alex Chambers, David Eaton, Rene Garcia, Jacob Javier, Alejandro Mercado, Clayton Nelson and Patricio Regis are showing great potential. 

• What Cadets Take Away: Raiders, a non-traditional sport, creates teamwork, camaraderie, and a sense of pride in accomplishing some very difficult events. Each cadet learns a lot about what they can accomplish if they push themselves.  

Learn more about Coach Biddle and see the fall 2020 JROTC Raiders schedule. 

 

Soccer

Coach Mark Collins offers his soccer team over 10 years of experience coaching. He is a two-time state champion and two-time national champion with Cork City Club in Ireland and Colaiste Stiofain Naofa College. His coaching philosophy revolves around hard work, toughness and intensity. According to Collins, hard work always beats talent when talent doesn't work hard enough. 

• Daily Practice: Practices feature conditioning, technical skills and scrimmages. The team works on everything so they can improve on all aspects of their game. 

• Team Captains: Samuel Olmeda, Fred Intwali and Oscar Lopez. 

• Top Returning Players: Oscar Lopez, Kenny Kazoora, Darion Heavens, Machary Pagan and Michael Wever are the top returning players. They have experience from previous years so that will stand true to them again this season.  

• Top New Players: Fred Inwali and Samuel Olmeda – they are already great leaders for the team in their first year playing MMA soccer. Alejandro Beverido is a top new player also because he's quick, good on the ball and can score goals.  

• What Cadets Take Away: Soccer and the competitive side of it are enjoyable, and through the game, cadets can make friends for life. As a team, they are going to try their very best in every game and work hard to get the results they want to achieve.   

Learn more about Coach Collins and see the fall 2020 Colonels Soccer schedule. 

 

Swimming

With more than 15 years of experience, Coach Matthias McManus has coached several record-holding and scholarship-earning pupils. Additionally, he is an American Swim Coach Association (ASCA) level 2 coach, a Red Cross lifeguard instructor, a water safety instructor, a CPR and AED first aid instructor, a coaches’ safety training instructor and a Begin to Swim program instructor. His coaching philosophy revolves around teaching cadets how to set goals and to improve with each race – a skill they will be able to use long after they graduate from MMA.  

• Daily Practice: Cadets learn that what they put into practice is what they show when they compete. In addition to individual swim practice, cadets also practice relay races each day at end of practice to build teamwork. 

• Team Captain: Damien Brown. Co-captain is Ruhan Chowira. 

• Top Returning Players: Damien Brown, Ruhan Chowrira, Kevith Sangster, Jacob Schneider and Jacob Tholen are the top returning players. They all give 100% and more in the pool, according to Coach McManus. 

• Top New Players: Nathaniel Espinoza, Kevin Gonzalez, Matthew Hamilton, Gabriel Iglesias Osorio, Taylor Jennings, Roy Kioko, Ian Masters-Moore, Anthony Melick, Noah Peairson and Griffin Roberts are the top new players.  Each one shows a competitive spirit. 

• What Cadets Take Away: They can make themselves, their parents and MMA proud. When they compete, they should compete with sportsmanship and always give more than 100% to any endeavor. 

Learn more about Coach McManus and see the fall 2020 Colonels swimming schedule. 

 

Football

Coach Jimmy Peyton leads the football team, bringing years of experience as a competitive football player and coach. He is a two-time collegiate and high school All American Football Player and holds multiple state and national championship victories as a player and a coach. For Peyton, his coaching philosophy revolves around perseverance and overcoming obstacles that stand in their way. 

• Daily Practice: Cadets practice in a highly competitive atmosphere that simulates game situations. 

• Team Captains: Phasakorn Cunningham, Christopher Bryant, Juan Pedro Garduno Miranda. 

• Top Returning Players: According to Peyton, Ricky Padron, Kouame Ndoumi, Phasakorn Cunningham and Juan Pedro Garduno Miranda are the top returning players because they buy into the program and change the culture of the football team. 

• Top New Players: Noah Corzine, Matthew Larson, Christopher Bryant, Jeremy Ansel are the top new guys who have bought into the culture change. 

• What Cadets Take Away: Peyton wants cadets to understand that in order to succeed in life, you must learn to face adversity head-on and be solution-oriented individuals. He wants them to take the lessons they learn in football and use them to be successful people on and off the field. 

Learn more about Coach Peyton and see the fall 2020 Colonels football schedule.