Indians’ Uzubell eyes encore effort

Updated: August 16, 2011 7:37PM

Kyle Uzubell couldn’t have had much more success in his first two seasons of varsity soccer at Lake Central.

As a sophomore starter, his first season of varsity play, Uzubell joined his Indians teammates on a run to the final four, finishing the season in the state semifinals at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis.

Then came last season, a year in which Lake Central was expected to challenge for a state title. It was a prophesy that came true for the Indians, who beat Indianapolis Cathedral 2-0 in the title game for the school’s first boys soccer state championship.

“Yeah, I’ve been really happy at Lake Central,” Uzubell said. “We have a bunch of good guys, and we play really well together.”

Indians coach Jereme Rainwater views Uzubell’s experience in his two seasons with the varsity as invaluable.

“Both times he participated with the varsity team the season ended in the state finals,” Rainwater said. “Really, that first finals was his coming-out party. We knew we had a special kid, but we really didn’t know how special he was until he showed up for that first final four appearance, when we played Zionsville.

“He came out and really proved himself as a soccer player. More than that, he proved what kind of competitive nature he has. The higher the game level and the bigger the stakes, the more Kyle shows up. He invites that kind of pressure. And that’s pretty rare for a high school kid.”

Since he was a youngster, Uzubell had been a regular at Rainwater’s offseason soccer camp. Rainwater has watched Uzubell emerge into an elite high school player.

“He has improved himself 10-fold,” Rainwater said. “He’s always challenged himself as a player. And he’s always putting in extra work. That’s made him a well-rounded player.”

Uzubell said the hard work is a result of his desire to emulate the Lake Central players who came before him.

“When I was little, I was always the shy kid, but I looked up to all the guys,” Uzubell said. “I wanted to be a part of the team, and I wanted to be like those guys, so I pushed hard.”

Uzubell plays left wing in the Indians’ midfield. He scored four goals and had five assists last season, after scoring a goal and having three assists as a sophomore. He’s not expected to be a goal-scorer on this team, but he creates opportunities for others by controlling the ball.

“He’s so tenacious for the ball,” Rainwater said. “There’s no going into a tackle halfway with him. The 50-50 balls don’t even seem that way when he’s making an attempt. He puts the other player at such a disadvantage because of his speed and strength.”

Uzubell said increasing his strength has always been a focal point for him.

“In the offseason, we hit the weight room like two or three days,” he said. “I’ve been really trying to improve on that, because it’s been one of the weaker points I’ve had.”

Consider it preparation for a season in which Uzubell and his teammates know they will be marked by the opposition because of their status as defending state champions.

“There will be pressure, but we have guys that were on the bench last year that can step up for us this year,” Uzubell said. “We’ve got some big shoes to fill, but I’m sure we can get it done.”

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