CASTLE ROCK — Every high school has a Tyler Servais. At least it hopes it does.
He’s the kid who dives head-first into academics, activities and athletics and causes no worries about character or conduct.
He’s the kid, like Servais, a senior at Class 5A Douglas County, who plays more than one sport, was a starter over multiple seasons, served as team captain, earned all-league honors and played a series of positions. Servais has competed in football and baseball, handling everything from long-snapper to first base, and undoubtedly took something with him while savoring every moment.
“I was a quarterback as a freshman,” Servais said. “I learned so many different things that it was really interesting.”
In class, he’s the kid who pays attention, gets his work done and excels in all subjects. Servais has a 4.16 grade-point average, scored 32 (of a possible 36) on the ACT, earned less than an A only twice and ate advanced placement classes for breakfast, including history, calculus, physiology, literature and physics.
He’s the kid who gets involved. Servais has been active in student council, served as class president and student body president, speaks at assemblies and has the gumption to implement ideas that are badly needed — despite being quiet and shy throughout grade school and middle school.
For Servais, who said he began to get more and more involved as a junior, he went beyond speaking to the student body and planning events such as a dodgeball tournament. He was instrumental in developing the school television network. Guess who rounded up TVs from the community for in-school viewing and served as a news anchor?
“This year, I recruited some of my buddies, and we really got it going,” Servais said.
He’s the kid who takes losing hard, but handles it.
He’s the kid who knows how to identify and take advantage of multiple opportunities that are beneficial and not flaunt any of it. Servais’ father, Scott, is a former Rockies catcher who now is the Texas Rangers’ farm director in charge of player development.
“It opened it up for me to go to all of the minor-league parks, take some (batting practice) and get an idea of what it’s like,” the younger Servais said.
He’s the kid who stays after practice or comes early.
“He’d be out there all day if you let him,” Huskies baseball coach Mark Roberts said.
He’s the kid who could have gone elsewhere to pursue his interests, yet stayed within range of home, a soft spot and a sense of pride for public school officials who hate losing this kind of talent to the privates.
“I think it’s special that he stayed here,” Roberts said.
He’s the kind of kid who has a plan. Servais is headed to the Ivy League’s Princeton. He was impressed with the East Coast and settled on New Jersey, where he’ll try to earn a job as a Tigers catcher, make important contacts for down the road and is considering engineering operations research and financial engineering.
And he’s the kind of kid who is emotional about his high school days just about gone.
“I graduate on May 20. Wow!” he said. “You blink and it’s almost over. Yeah, I definitely think I’ve enjoyed being involved. I’m not one of those guys, the kids who are ready to get out. I haven’t had any senioritis. I’ve enjoyed the last few months and the baseball season. . . . I’ve got the rest of the summer to do whatever else I want.”
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
