Morgan Township's Reynolds settles in

Updated: May 9, 2012 9:48AM

The transition to high school was a little different for Ryan Reynolds than it was for others.

Now a sophomore at Morgan Township, Reynolds entered his freshman year there after having been home-schooled his entire life. A soccer enthusiast who has played the game since he was old enough to kick a ball, Reynolds suddenly also found himself thrust into a role on the Cherokees’ varsity team.

An entirely new school setting. An entirely new circle of friends. And an entirely new soccer scenario.

“It was a little bit of a change,” Reynolds said. “There are a lot of rules, but besides that, it’s just going to school pretty much. If you work hard and get good grades, it pays off.”

Morgan Township coach Stefen Hutchins knows it wasn’t an easy transition.

“I kind of asked a lot of him as a freshman being a starter,” Hutchins said. “The first couple of games he had a little anxiety, having to get used to everything. Not only did he now have homework and had to be somewhere at a specific time, but he also was asked to make things happen as a varsity starter. That’s a lot for any 14-year-old to take on.”

Reynolds played multiple positions for the Cherokees last season before settling in at forward in the latter half of the season, scoring seven goals.

“He had been all over the field except for the goal box,” Hutchins said. “Once we got him up top, he started making things happen for us.”

Reynolds has settled in nicely this season for Morgan Township.

“It’s fun and challenging since I’m only a sophomore,” Reynolds said. “It makes some of those bigger guys hard to get around.”

Reynolds leads Morgan with 11 goals and an assist in nine games. The Cherokees are off to a 4-3-2 start through Monday.

“He’s really fast and has great ball skills,” Hutchins said.

“He really can control the ball and make things happen. He’s got a great view of the field and is a good passer. He knows when it’s the right time to pass the ball and the right time to keep it. He can hit some angles that are pretty hard for any player to hit.”

Boys Top 5
1. Lake Central
2. Bishop Noll
3. Munster
4 (tied). Andrean/Chesterton
5. Valparaiso
Girls Top 5
1. Valparaiso
2. Crown Point
3. Chesterton
4. Lake Central
5. Kankakee Valley
Note: Rankings through Tuesday

Players of the Week
Justin Handtke, Covenant Christian
Scored the game’s only goal in the Knights’ victory against Marquette.
Sarah Rivich, Crown Point
Had the go-ahead goal and an assist as the Bulldogs topped Chesterton 4-2, at the time giving them sole possession of first place in the DAC.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.