The tricolor national flag of Sierra Leone armband that CHS senior Joseph Wall wears over his Kodiak football uniform is a reminder of both from where he comes and where, in part, he is headed. Wall was born in the coastal West African nation, tragically lost both of his parents during the West African epidemic crises of 2014-16 and was subsequently adopted, along with his sister Deborah (a CHS junior) into the big, diverse, happy family of CHS Choral Director Mindy Wall and her husband Darryl.
Much like the dual nature represented on the sleeve of his football jersey, and being bilingual (English and Krio), Joseph Wall views both Sierra Leone, in which he spent two weeks last summer and has numerous family members, and the United States as home, and plans to one day be in a position of service helping people in both countries.
Wall is a four-year Kodiak student athlete (football and soccer), is serious about his schooling, works at Mücheon Haus and is bound for college. When asked how he balances such a busy life, Wall said that “it comes down to hard work and being able to prioritize. After family and friends, school is the most important thing to me, then sports and work.” Joseph emphasized that his father, Darryl “sets a great example for me” of mixing the right amount of hard work with prioritizing life’s most important things. “I really look up my dad. He’s a good guy and works very hard for our family.”
That work ethic was affirmed by CHS Athletic Director and head football coach, Dominic Coffin: “Joseph had a late start in football but, due to his hard work on and off the field, he has progressed quickly both offense and defense. He brings that ethic to the locker room, pushes others and sets an example as a senior.” Coffin went on to say that losing Wall to graduation “will be a big hit for the team. He is a solid running back and can play any position on defense from the line to linebacker. More importantly though, Joseph is a strong man of faith who cares for everyone. He’s an even better person than football player and we will miss that more than anything.”
While the football season is not yet over, Wall already knows that his favorite gridiron memories will be beating Cashmere in this year’s Pear Bowl and the wild game against Chelan earlier this month, a one-point game, during which a total of 109 points were put up. Despite those remarkable games, Joseph did say that even better memories have come from “just hanging with the guys. Yeah, that’ll be my favorite at CHS.”
Some of those guys include senior Gunnar Balzer and junior Victor Lopez. “A fun and funny guy whose been great to play ball with these last few years,” is how Gunnar describes Joseph. “He always goes hard and is just a good friend to everyone, what more can I say?” continued Balzer. Victor echoed Gunnar’s sentiments saying that “Joseph is a solid friend, a great teammate to all, and has the qualities that will make him successful down the road both on and off the field. I’m glad we’re at school together.”
Now that school is almost back to normal, Joseph is looking forward to the remainder of his senior year, including spring soccer. When not in the classroom or on the field, Wall’s pastimes include video games, lifting and even a bit of cooking as he recalled when discussing the year away from in-person school during Covid lockdowns: “Yeah, it was rough to be away from the classroom and friends, but it was good to spend time with family playing games and cooking together.”
After graduation, Wall hopes to be on “scholarship playing junior college football or take a gap year to earn money for college.” After that, Wall intends to make a career of “doing good things” for other people. For those who know Joseph, there is no doubt about that.
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