WEST PALM BEACH – Put Mark Slider in any needed position, and he’ll make the most out of it.
This is what happened in the 6-foot, 175-pound wide receiver’s senior season at King’s Academy.
He lined up at wide receiver and H-back, doing both quite well in 10 games played.
At wide receiver, Slider registered 250+ receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. He added 7 pancakes to his stat sheet.
“We kind of moved around our offense and we had an H-back this year,” Slider said. “I was used in a big part of our blocking schemes this past year. I was happy to fill the role.”
Slider’s best game came against North Broward Prep, which turned out to be a 56-26 win in Week 3 for King’s Academy. He had 2 catches for 92 yards and 1 touchdown.
“That was a lucky game for us,” Slider said. “And what’s crazy is I’m playing with two former NBP players (quarterback Christian Paillet and lineman Nick Rendon) at Plymouth.”
Speaking of Plymouth State, Slider signed his letter of intent earlier today (May 7) with the Division III institution, which is based in Plymouth, N.H. He pledged his verbal commitment to the school on Feb. 4.
“I loved it right when I got on campus. It’s just a beautiful place,” said Slider, who chose Plymouth State over Bridgewater and other schools. “I feel like the coaches want to see me succeed, and they all want to be great. That made me want to be a part of it.”
Rendon, who is from Boynton Beach, spoke on his soon-to-be new teammate.
“I couldn’t really say much about Mark as an opponent,” Rendon said. “But I’m getting some work in with him and I’m getting to know him. I would say he’s a hardworking and very competitive person, but aren’t we all? I would say he’s ready to compete at the next level. If he keeps on working, he can do some big things at Plymouth.”
With all that said, Slider took some time to reflect on how his senior season went at King’s Academy.
“I feel as if we didn’t reach the goal we wanted,” Slider said. “I felt like I sort of made a name for myself during this season. I’m just very grateful with some of the relationships I built. To have my coaches there when I sign shows their constant support. I think that’s the best thing I got out of my senior season.”
Slider spoke highly of Lions head coach Keith Allen and his coaching staff.
“He’s of the best coaches in South Florida,” Slider said. “He really helped me grow as a person and player. Coach Dickens is the OC at King’s,and he is someone who is going to be a great coach in these upcoming years. They all 100 percent made me a better player.”
Slider looked back on his high school experience at King’s Academy.
“It’s super surreal seeing my senior year end like this, and I don’t really know what to expect about all this,” Slider said. “I know God has a plan and I have 100 percent trust in Him. The last four years have definitely been a lot of ups and downs, but this last senior season has taught me so much. I’m happy I had the opportunity to play at TKA.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Shots by Dan (King’s Academy student photographer) and Plymouth State Football
