2012 Athlete of the Year Finalists // The Roundup

Joe Powell ’12 (baseball)

A two-year letterman on the baseball team, Joe is one of the most dominant pitchers in Texas high school baseball. With a strong right and a wicked fastball that touches 90 miles per hour, Powell has established himself as a premier pitcher this season. On the mound, he has accumulated an earned run average (ERA) of just 0.99, only allowing eight runs and 23 hits in nine games pitched. Powell has notched 44 strikeouts this spring while leading the Jesuit Rangers to their third straight district title. The highlight of Joe’s season came on April 10, when he pitched a no-hitter in a 10-0 rout of the Richardson Berkner Rams. As a batter, Joe has a batting average of .339, and has one homerun and 23 runs batted in on 20 hits. Powell, who has still yet to commit to play at a college next year, looks to be an immediate starter at the NCAA level after four dominant years at Jesuit.

Akuda Esin ’12 (football, power-lifting)

Akuda Esin, known as one of the most intimidating characters on the Jesuit campus, displayed his absolute best all year both as a shut down defensive lineman on the football team and as an award winning power-lifting competitor. Despite a knee injury that sidelined him for a few games in the fall, Esin, a senior captain, was an extremely influential force in the Ranger’s 2011 football campaign, which closed with an 8-3 record. The strongest player on the football team, Akuda leaves Jesuit with three years of varsity football under his belt. He displayed his skills with true heart, determination, and a passion for the game; Esin was a force to be reckoned with in the trenches on Friday nights. In addition to his prowess on the gridiron, Akuda is also known for his accomplishments in the Texas High School Powerlifting Association Meets this year. In March, he brought Jesuit its first powerlifting state title, racking up a mindboggling score of 1,690 pounds. He beat the closest competitor by only five pounds: the hulking Esin squatted 630 pounds, benched 385, and dead-lifted 630. A fighter and warrior, Esin will attend Louisiana State University next fall, where he looks to walk on to a very successful Tiger program.

Tanner Coffin ’12 (football, soccer)

Humble yet dominant and talented, Tanner Coffin played both football and soccer for Jesuit. A two-year letterman in football and a three-year letterman in soccer, Tanner truly was one of the best all-around athletes Jesuit has had to offer over the past four years. On the gridiron this year, Coffin, a cornerback, helped the Ranger defense stop the aerial attacks of opposing teams. Known for being a shut down corner, Coffin displayed his toughness and ability all season long. In a key game this fall, Tanner dominated the fourth overtime period against Richardson Berkner. He notched both a big sack that knocked the Rams’ quarterback out of the game and later an interception that won the game for Jesuit. Playing soccer, however, is Tanner’s true passion and love. Thanks to a strong relationship with coach Charlie DeLong, Tanner, who helped Jesuit win the 2010 UIL 5A State Championship, scored a heap of important goals for the Rangers all season. When DeLong won his 500^th game at Jesuit, Tanner turned in a hat-trick for the Rangers. Despite a tough loss in the playoffs, Tanner battled hard all year and showed all he had on the field. Tanner will attend Hardin-Simmons University in the fall.