This year the Knights get to add a new player hailing from Italy to their ranks. Senior Tommaso Rogante is not only a new foreign exchange student this year from Marche, Italy, but also the kicker for the Knights. He is currently part of the C-Team but he has kicked for varsity as well.

“I want to improve my English and experience a new thing that could make me feel more independent and more mature.” Rogante said.

Rogante first learned English in kindergarten, and has been working on improving it ever since. He chose the US because it’s where he could best get a feel for the language and to experience its rich culture.

“He’s taken it all in,” PE teacher and football coach Eric Eubank said. “His English is pretty well spoken and he’s learning from different diversities and backgrounds.”

Many schools in Italy don’t have official sports teams, so students like Rogante had to pay to be part of sports clubs if they wanted to partake in any team sport. Rogante played basketball through this program and will be seeking to join the team this winter.

“He is fantastic. He’s improving every day,” Eubank said, “American Football is probably unlike anything he has ever seen or done before, but he is above average at it.”

Currently Rogante is focusing he is working on getting good grades, improving his English, and making new friends. He is also learning and improving at football, a sport that isn’t easily available outside the US and being an important and much welcome as a kicker for the Knights.

“I feel very comfortable here, my teammates treat me like a friend and the coaches are very nice.” Rogante said, “We are like a family.”