WEST PALM BEACH – Bernie Cueto is supremely focused right now.
Just as his senior season at King’s Academy officially began yesterday (Aug. 24), he wanted to put an end to his college recruiting process.
The highly talented specialist pledged his verbal commitment to Washington-St. Louis, a Division III university based in the Greater St. Louis area. He chose Washington-St. Louis over Graceland, Hamline, Monmouth, and Rose-Hulman.
“The coaching staff and top tier academics really sealed the deal,” said Cueto, who is currently ranked as the No. 1 specialist and No. 30 overall player in Palm Beach County.
“The coaches were frequently in contact with me, whether it was to talk about WashU or just to check up on me,” Cueto continued. “They took the time to build a relationship and made me feel like family. On the academic side, at WashU I am able to get a degree from a top tier university while playing the game I love.”
Cueto said he will be majoring in chemistry on a pre-medicine track.
Now with his recruiting process out of the way, the focus for Cueto will be about helping King’s Academy return to the postseason after a one-year absence.
King’s Academy finished last season with a 5-5 record and came close to qualifying for a return appearance in the Class 3A playoffs.
“I was happy with how I performed, but not satisfied,” the 5-foot-7, 145-pound kicker said earlier this year. “I know that I can do better to contribute more to the team. The 5-5 record was definitely not what we wanted, nor was it up to our standards. We can let that motivate us to perform better this year.”
Speaking of this upcoming fall season, Cueto and his team have started things on the right foot. He spoke on how yesterday’s practice went at King’s Academy.
“The first day back was great,” Cueto said. “I was so happy to put the helmet back on and be with my brothers again. I felt very safe all throughout practice, thanks to the protocols put in place by The King’s Academy. The daily screening processes, face shields installed to our helmets, and reduced meeting sizes all contribute to providing a safe environment for us to play the game we love.”
PHOTO CREDITS: Washington University Football and Shots by Dan
