Kiwanis Cope has emerged as the heart of Wildwood Middle High School’s defense this season. Kiwanis currently leads the team with 39 total tackles, including 17 solo stops, three tackles for loss and two interceptions. That success has helped Wildwood to their first 3-0 start to a season in over five years.

Head Coach Rhett Caruthers calls the senior more than just a stats leader.

“Kiwanis is the alpha. He has a presence about him that you can’t teach,” Caruthers says. “He walks into a room and immediately lights it up. He’s confident, energetic, and naturally draws people toward him.”

Coach Caruthers attributes Kiwanis’ athletic ability in part to family lineage but stresses work ethic above all.

“It’s Corbin blood, but more than anything, it’s his work ethic,” Caruthers says. (The Corbin family has deep athletic roots in Wildwood and the surrounding Sumter County.) “He is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached. He doesn’t take shortcuts, and he’s willing to put in the work when nobody is watching. That’s what separates him.”

Kiwanis carries a 3.7 GPA. He started playing football around age 7 after his uncle Germaine Harris and former coach Henry Wofford encouraged him to join their Pop Warner team. He says his defensive success stems from preparation rather than pure reaction.

“What makes me such a good defensive player is the amount of knowledge I have of the game,” Kiwanis says. “It’s different from a lot of players who just see ball and play ball, but you have to understand the key things the offense do and find a way to get around the scheme to make a play.”

Caruthers reserved his highest praise for Kiwanis’ character.

“That might be his greatest quality. I trust him completely. I would be proud to have him as a son, and honestly, I’d let him marry one of my daughters. That’s how highly I think of him as a young man.”

Wildwood’s early success this season follows years of challenges. Caruthers says the turnaround began with consistent work that started the week of Thanksgiving, 2025.

“We’ve averaged four to five days a week in the weight room, along with relentless field work, sleds, tires, sprints, and everything else that comes with building a tough football team,” he says. “This success didn’t happen by accident. Our players bought into the work, they stayed committed, and they’ve continued to push each other every single day. Kiwanis is a big part of that culture.”

Kiwanis says the results on Fridays feel rewarding after a demanding summer.

“It’s been amazing seeing Wildwood have early success. We worked hard all summer to be able to win on Fridays and put on a show for our community and the younger kids who will be in our shoes one day.”

Kiwanis also describes a tight-knit locker room and strong team bond.

“The vibes in the locker room are always lit,” says Kiwanis, “listening to music gets us pumped up and ready to go to war behind each other as soon as we walk out the door. My favorite thing about playing for Wildwood is the brotherhood we have. It’s something that any player could ever wish for and makes us stronger as a unit because of the things we have went through together.”

While many people have impacted his life, Kiwanis named his mother, Lakiesha Stokes, and Roddrick Dixon as role models. Stokes, he says, “has been by my side no matter what, through the thick and thin.”

And while Kiwanis has made many memories on the field over the years, his favorite on-field memory involves the team overcoming adversity together as selfless players. That includes some of the best advice he has received, which came from coach Caruthers: “God made you for a reason, you’re a special young man and he has a bright future for you.”

As for the most important life lesson from his coach, Kiwanis says he centers on character: putting others first, doing right when no one is watching, and serving without recognition.

Looking ahead, Kiwanis aims to play college football. He aspires to work in physical therapy or market management. He’s also committed to continuing to inspire younger athletes as he progresses on his academic and athletic journey.

To the younger players who look up to him and will be in his shoes one day: “Do everything 100%, be the one who stands out amongst the crowd and beats adversity even when things feel like it’s impossible — just keep going.”