Cheers and whistles emanate from the stands of Richard Harper Memorial Field. It’s Saturday afternoon, and the varsity football team is in action.  Kevin Clauss ’10 approaches the line of scrimmage and surveys the defense. The ball is hiked and Clauss fakes the handoff to Cassidy West-Santos ’10. He turns, cool and collected, to see the play develop downfield. He watches Brandon Branch ’11 shed a defender in the middle of the field, sprinting at full speed. Clauss sets his feet and sends a high spiral toward the end zone. It falls into Branch’s outstretched arms. Six points.

The past fall, Charger fans were treated to 11 of these touchdown passes from their quarterback

As a senior, Clauss has had a year to remember.  Starting for and leading three separate varsity teams as a captain, he has had standout seasons in football, basketball and tennis. The result was the Albuquerque Academy Male Athlete of the Year award, voted on by students and faculty.

Clauss excelled as both the varsity football team’s quarterback and safety, even garnering recognition from the Albuquerque Journal as an All-Metro safety. In addition to 11 touchdown passes, Clauss ran for 13 more, threw for 1,173 yards, and ran for 977. According to head coach Kevin Carroll, Clauss had all the tools to stand out on the field. “He’s a very well-rounded athlete,” Carroll said. “He’s a fine passer and a skilled runner. He’s a football player.”

On the basketball court, Clauss had no trouble stuffing the stat sheet, leading the varsity team in points and rebounds this past season. “He was the most valuable player on the team,” said head coach Mike Brown. “He freed up other players, and was always strong with the ball.”

Clauss earned another impressive accolade for his solid performance throughout the basketball season, being honored as the 5-4A district player of the year.

On the tennis courts, Clauss had another impressive season, going 4-0 in singles and 8-2 in doubles with Cassidy West-Santos ’10. Clauss and West-Santos (known by the team as “Claussity” according to head coach Sean Hopkins) took second in the district doubles bracket. “Kevin’s a great all-around athlete,” Hopkins said. “He became a great doubles player this season.”

Clauss said among his most memorable experiences were not individual accomplishments, but moments shared with his teammates. “It was great going to Bloomfield and winning in the state quarterfinals, especially since they were our first loss,” Clauss said. “We killed them.” Clauss also said “winning in the Pit, and running down the ramp” was a significant moment.

While Clauss had all the stats that make a great year, it’s the intangibles that earn the Male Athlete of the Year Award. In addition to all the points, rebounds, passing yards, and impressive tennis record, Clauss has just as impressive leadership and competitiveness, according to those who have watched him this year.
 
“[Clauss] is the team’s leader in every respect,” said Carroll. “I gave him the authority to audible and change plays at the line of scrimmage, and he did so admirably.”

“He brought leadership more than anything this year,” Hopkins said. “He’s a great competitor who knows how to win. He pulled out some big wins for us this year, and beat guys that play tennis a lot more than he does.”
 
According to Brown, the mantra to follow with Clauss is simple. “Plug him in the game and he’ll perform,” he said. “He’s a tough competitive kid with tons of leadership.”

According to Clauss, what he felt he did to deserve this award was staying constantly dedicated, acting as a leader, and being an integral part of each team. “The team looks to you to play well,” Clauss said. “As a captain, you always have to push everyone.”

With such great athletic success, sometimes comes arrogance. One would be hard pressed to find any evidence of that in Clauss according to his coaches.

“I know tennis sometimes falls below basketball and football in the hierarchy of sports,” Hopkins said. “In my first year three years ago, I remember hearing that the quarterback and basketball stud was coming to play tennis. From the very beginning, he came and introduced himself and was extremely humble and polite. He’s always shown tremendous humility and respect.”

“Kevin’s a quiet guy,” Carroll said. “He lets his actions do the talking.”
 
This year, they’ve spoke volumes.