To be a man for others. It is ostensibly the goal of every Brophy student, hammered into our collective psyche through prayers, mantras and speeches ever since the first day of freshman year. But what does it mean to actually live out the ideal of a man for others? To truly put the success of others above your own?
According to those around him, we can take a look towards Xander Koehler ’25 for an answer. Koehler’s high school career has been characterized by consistently uplifting his peers, and in the process making his basketball teammates, Little Brothers and friends the best versions of themselves.
Much of this can be attributed to the nature of his character. But he was also inspired by the love and support he received during his freshman year, as he dealt with the passing of his father during the summer leading up to his first year of high school.
“Before high school started, my dad died…I’m not a very outgoing person, so it was hard for me to meet new people,” said Koehler. “At first it was hard for me to open up to people and be comfortable with myself, but because I met such great friends, I was able to.”
One of those friends has been Henry Foster ’25, whom he first met in freshman Biology class. Foster described Koehler, and said, “He’s one of the few people I truly know for exactly who he is; he’s never tried to put on a facade or lied to make himself look better. He’s just him. That subtle confidence reinforces how genuine and thoughtful he is.”
After playing on JV Basketball as a freshman, Koehler joined the Varsity Basketball team, where he was a contributor for three seasons. Head Coach Mr. Matt Hooten has watched Koehler grow both on and off of the court over those three years.
When asked about what he brings to the team, Mr. Hooten said, “I think he genuinely cares for and loves his teammates. And I think that comes out in the way that he plays. He’s somebody who does all of the little things that help the team be at its best. And not necessarily all the things that show up in a box score that are going to be more publicly celebrated.”
After not being a large factor in the rotation through much of this past season, Mr. Hooten and the rest of the coaching staff decided to add in Koehler at the beginning of the playoffs, a postseason which ended with Brophy winning its first ever basketball state championship.
In fact, Koehler wound up in the starting rotation of the 6A State Championship game, a position that he certainly didn’t expect to be in. “If you told me at the beginning of the year that I would start, I wouldn’t have believed you at all because I was barely in the rotation then,” he said. “But I think my role was just like it was at the beginning of the season. I think my role was to always just make my teammates better.”
Off of the court, Koehler has also served as a Big Brother on campus, helping freshmen navigate the transition to high school. And next year, he will be attending Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University. It’s a safe bet that he will continue to lift up those around him.
“He quietly puts others before himself and does all the little things to make people feel at ease, never needing to boast or be loud about it. He’s been a pillar in my life, someone I could lean on through all the ups and downs, and our friendship has been invaluable to me,” said Foster.
