Kofa’s Evan LaRue becomes sixth boys King soccer standout to sign LOI

LaRue commits to Gillette University, continuing soccer career at the NJCAA level

YUMA, Ariz., (KYMA, KECY) - It was a familiar scene outside of Rillos Gym at Kofa High School on Tuesday - as another star athlete signed their way to the collegiate level.

Evan LaRue has dedicated countless hours to the soccer field while growing up, developing his skills most notably for the Kofa Kings and travel team, the Spartans.

On Tuesday, it all came to fruition as he signed his Letter of Intent to continue his soccer journey at the collegiate level in front of a crowd of coaches, family and teammates.

LaRue will head to Gillette University in Wyoming to play NJCAA Division I soccer - a dream he never thought would come true.

"I'm super grateful. I never would've even thought I'd have the opportunity to play soccer in college," said LaRue. "I just wanted to move away from Yuma and get out and see the world and they (Gillette) offered me the chance."

Not only was it a special day to take in, LaRue just adds to the legacy that he and the senior group of Kings have left behind - becoming the sixth one to commit to the next level, with even one more to come.

This being a perfect representation of the group of competitive leaders that led Kofa to one of their best seasons in quite some time.

"Evan was part of that group that took a lot of pride in saying 'hey five guys signed last year. We can beat that. We can top that. Hold my gatorade,'" said head coach Jamie Nicewander as he laughed. "They took a lot of pride this year and pushed themselves to excel and get better and better to make a deep run in the semifinals."

Beyond the soccer pitch, LaRue is looking forward to a new outlook on life to be a part of a different culture and continue his academic journey, as well.

Something his longtime coach believes suites him perfectly.

"We're excited for him. It's pretty simple, wherever he goes he's going to do well," said Nicewander. "His approach to life and how he deals with things is incredible. He's going to do absolutely fantastic."

Evan plans on studying and receiving his associate's degree in computer science, or pick up a trade in his time off the soccer field.

We at News 11 Sports wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.