By Kyle Coppola
South Lake High’s Malik Holman Named District 6A Player of the Year
CLERMONT, Fla. — South Lake High School’s star running back Malik Holman has been named the FACA District 6A Player of the Year following an outstanding season that saw him dominate on the ground. Holman, a junior standout, rushed for 1,062 yards in the regular season and tallied 15 rushing touchdowns, with five games over 100 yards.
Holman’s regular season was capped off with a show-stopping performance in the final regular-season game against Leesburg High, where he tore through the defense with 252 rushing yards and three touchdowns. His efforts helped the South Lake Eagles to a strong finish, as his relentless pace and vision on the field established him as one of the top backs in the district and one of the best in Florida’s 6A classification. He along with his teammates and coaches also became the first South Lake High football team since 2000 to win a District Championship.
“Malik has been the the many offensive talents that pours his heart and soul into the team,” South Lake coach Brad Lord says. “He brings intensity and a work ethic that’s hard to match, and he really rises to the occasion when we need him most.” South Lake High head coach Brad Lord was also named as the Class 6A Coach of the Year so a congratulations to him. He’s done a fine job of reviving South Lake High football.
The senior’s power, speed, and consistency makes him a crucial offensive weapon for the Eagles, and his ability to break through defensive lines and rack up yardage turned heads across the state. Holman’s outstanding season will continue as South Lake High is awaiting the playoff bracket to be released.
Congratulations to Malik Holman!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
