By Kyle Coppola
South Sumter High Football Linebacker Mali Boone Commits to UCF
In the small town of South Sumter, football is more than just a game; it was is a way of life for many who have come through the program. Mali Boone, a standout linebacker whose talent had caught the eye of college recruiters the past few years has decided to commit to The University of Central Florida! We are so proud of this young talented student-athlete.
Standing tall at 6’1 and weighing 235 pounds, Mali is a force to be reckoned with on the field. Despite offers from several schools, including West Virginia, Akron, Charlotte, and Coastal Carolina, he ultimately decided to commit to the University of Central Florida (UCF).
For Mali, the decision boiled down to more than just football. UCF will offer him the perfect balance of athletics and academics, allowing him to pursue his passion while earning a quality education. UCF is also in the Big 12 Conference now so Mali will face some incredible competition on the playing field.
Under the guidance of his head coach, Ty Lawrence, Mali has honed his skills the past few years and made a name for himself in the district. Leading Class 2S District 9 in tackles last season with 108, Mali’s dedication to the game was undeniable and that goes for different sports as well. Mali is also an amazing baseball player and basketball star. He is athletically gifted.
As he prepared to enter his senior year, Mali knows that his journey was far from over. With over 300 career tackles and 19 sacks to his name, he will be eager to make the most of his final season at South Sumter High. Is this the year that South Sumter can make it to the State Semi-Finals? They have been close the past few seasons losing to Cocoa in back to back years in the Regional Finals.
With the support of his teammates and coaches, Mali is proud to announce his commitment to UCF, he has done so with a sense of pride and excitement for the future. He represents not only South Sumter High School but Sumter County as well.
We are so proud of this young man and his commitment to UCF. We look forward to watching him work hard during his senior season!
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.
