By Kenzie Raub '24 Mortiz Mittendorfer, also known as “Lil Mo” by his peers, is an Austrian prodigy football player, showing off his skills on the field as a Raiders team member. “I feel very proud and very h onored to be able to wear a uniform and play for North Cross, because I think it’s a really rich history, it’s a really great opportunity for everybody who gets a chance to play at North Cross,” says Mittendorfer. Mittendorfer plays wide receiver position and led the team in receptions this season. In Austria, he has even made it to the national team a couple of times. Here in America, he was second team all conference as a receiver and punt returner. “I’ve played football for six to seven years,” says Mittendorfer, “It’s my main sport.” Mittendorfer plans on playing football here at NCS while he finishes his schooling, graduate with good grades and try to get a scholarship to University of Washington so he can continue his football career. “I came here from Austria last year, played sports there, went to school there, normal stuff,” Mittendorfer said. “Then, I got mail from Coach Ed and he asked me if I wanted to come to North Cross School, and I thought it was a great idea for my academic and athletic career.” The football team started out as kids who didn’t know each other, but now they have gotten incredibly close throughout the season and consider each other family. Mittendorfer expresses how proud he is to be a part of the team and how proud of himself he is for his achievements. “He [Mittendorfer] and Iver are roommates and we put an 8th grader with them because we knew they would take care of a younger student and be a good influence on a younger student,” says Coach Stephen Alexander, who coaches the football team. “I mean he’s just a great person. He’s very reliable and trustworthy, and I would trust him in a lot of ways, not just coaching him football.”
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By Kenzie Raub '24
Denzel Marufu 23’ is an artist and a soccer player and an international student from Zimbabwe. “It’s [American school] not more difficult than Zimbabwe,” Marufu said. “Zimbabwe is much more difficult than here—but it’s not just easy as I thought it would be.” Marufu explains that in Zimbabwe, students have an extra year of school than in America. They also don’t use the same grade system as we do. Instead, Zimbabwean schools have “forms” of schooling levels. For example, grades eight through 18 are known as form one to six. While in America at NCS, Marufu has been able to expand on his passion for art. His interest in drawing began somewhere around fifth grade, and he’s continued to draw and create art ever since. He has drawn several works that have been posted online and are hung in different places around the school. “I’ve never even taken any art classes, so it’s just a thing,” Marufu said. Along with building his artistic ability, Marufu has also been able to be a part of the NCS soccer team, continuing to grow his love for the sport. He began playing soccer in sixth grade, upholding the goalie position for his entire soccer career to this day. He was also able to be a part of the state championship recently played. “It was good, you know,” he said. “Like, my first year here, winning the championship. It was something else.” Marufu was named first-team all-state. “Denzel was a wall in the goal,” Coach James Brown said, “and always there when called upon to make the big save.” Marufu plans on continuing to play soccer and eventually make a career out of it. He isn’t sure about becoming an artist, but he still appreciates it as a hobby. He says his talent is creating art, but he enjoys playing soccer more, preferring to make a living out of it rather than drawing. Marufu has one piece of advice to up and coming artists; references are very important. “I just take a picture, I put it there, I just copy what’s on the picture,” said Marufu. |
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