Daily Pilot High School Athlete of the Week

Reed Williams taps and tugs at the ball, stopping and starting, dancing and darting, an inspired blend of technical skill, instinct and, many would suggest, nothing short of an inexplicable gift.

The game he began playing as a small child is now, in fact, child’s play for the Corona del Mar High senior forward, who had an unfathomable 13 goals through five games. His three hat tricks and two near-misses, one in which he scored twice and tantalized the crowd with several other ill-fated chances, helped the Sea Kings open 5-0.

And though he has likely scored hundreds of goals in nearly a decade of year-round devotion to soccer, the UCLA-bound net tickler is virtually unmoved by his early dominance.

The only celebration he ever recalls being a part of after one of his scores entailed adulation imparted to him by teammates.

“I think someone shined my shoes before,” said the unquestioned team leader who is also, proudly, just one of the guys. “And I’ve been dog-piled a couple of times. Have I ever taken my shirt off? I’m not sure I’ve ever done that.”

Has he ever serpentined toward the flag, running with arms outstretched like an airplane, or slid to his knees arms outward, palms toward the sky?

Not hardly. Never has, never will.

“I just like to think about a goal as no big deal,” said Williams, who scored 10 goals last season, when he was named the Pacific Coast League Offensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division IV recognition for helping lead the Sea Kings to the CIF division quarterfinals. “Like they say, I try to act like I’ve been there before.”

Few, however, can navigate around and through defenders with the consistent ease Williams displays. And when it comes to finishing after he has created separation, his repertoire is replete with all means necessary.

“We’ve played [five] games and he’s got [13] goals so far,” said first-year CdM Coach George Larsen, who has witnessed and admired Williams’ development as both are affiliated with the Newport Beach-based Slammers FC club program. “What does that put him on pace for? One hundred?

“His technical ability was on showcase tonight [Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Sage Hill in which he scored his team’s first and third goal]. He’s got a mix of technical skill and physical attributes. He is a big, strong, fast kid who works hard. And he’s really good in the air. His game doesn’t have a lot of weakness.”

As impressive as his tangible strengths are, Larsen believes the catalytic element of Williams’ success is something that emanates from beneath his jersey.

“I’ve watched Reed grow up with the Slammers,” Larsen said. “What sets him apart is his passion for the game. He’s obviously talented, but he’s like a little kid out there. When he plays, it’s his love for the game that just brings him through.

“If you like what you do, then it’s not hard to get up and go to work,” Larsen said. “I think that’s the best translation I can make for him on the soccer field. He doesn’t see it as work. At the end of practice, he’s the kid who is still out there. He still wants to kick the ball around. He doesn’t want to leave. He’s a great inspiration to the rest of the boys as our senior leader and captain. That’s just how he approaches the game.”

Williams’ mastery of the game earned him a spot on the Galaxy academy team, for which he left Slammers FC to become a part of earlier this year.

Leaving a team with his childhood friends was just part of the adjustment, as his penchant for dribbling was discouraged in the one-touch-passing scheme favored by Galaxy coaches. He also battled an injury, before finally earning a starting spot this past fall.

“Then, they wanted me to quit playing for [CdM],” Williams said. “It was a tough decision to leave the Galaxy, but I knew that at the end of the day, there was no way I could ever not play high school. It’s way too much fun.”

Williams is clearly having fun thus far, collecting goals like grass stains against nonleague opponents less familiar with his prowess. But, as the season continues, heading into the familiar Pacific Coast League slate, Williams knows the opponents’ defensive attention will intensify.

“Last year, I scored a lot during the first round of league,” the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week said. “But then, I started getting man-marked and double- and sometimes triple-teamed. A friend of mine who plays for [league rival] University told me they had a whole practice on how to guard me. That was hard, but now we have a much better team. And I’ll just try to play quicker and not dribble as much.”

His deft dribbling skill is most obvious to those who see him play for the first time. It is a command of the ball forged by countless hours of practice, alone and with friends, honing his touch and creativity.

“I’m comfortable with the ball,” he said. “I like it at my feet.”

That comfort is also expressed in his decision-making.

“It’s like instinct,” he said of the choices that dictate which moves he will utilize in the heat of competition. “What makes you a good player is being able to think really quickly, or sometimes being able to act without thinking.”

Williams said he once scored six goals in a club game, but he does not remember being on such an extended hot streak. He said the less thinking about that, the better.

“I’m just in a groove right now,” he said. “Sometimes you’re hot and sometimes you’re not. I’m just trying not to get a big head, because once you start thinking you’re pretty good, sometimes you can’t score anymore. I’m not too worried about goals. I just want to win. I like scoring goals, but there would never be a goal without an assist. I’ll take an assist if it means us winning a game.”