Meet Lachlan Huck, Garfield’s resident soccer maestro and regular absentee. The sport is his passion; the hooky is a side-effect. A standout year for the school team last spring indicated an upcoming MVP season.

However, Huck will not play soccer for the Garfield boys this spring, because his club team, Crossfire James 89, moved up to the National Youth League, which is in its first year of existence. It is a step he is more than willing to take.

“We’re probably the best team in the state,” says Huck, a senior and self-described hard-working left midfielder, “seeing as we’ve won state the last six years.”

The switch to the national league is not at all sudden for Crossfire; in fact, they are well versed in playing on a national and international level. Two years ago, they beat the U-15 American team 1 – 0, got within two games of the national semifinals, and beat Arsenal, the eventual national champions 2 – 0; last year, they beat the U-17 Trinadad and Tobago team 2 – 0 and were one of 16 teams to play in front of pro scouts in the prestigious Red Bull National League. Despite it all, the change is palpable, due to a new, brutal travel schedule.

“The National League has 64 teams. We play in the Northwest division,” says Huck. “We fly to all of our away games except one.”

Crossfire, an Eastside club, runs practices four times a week for an hour and a half. Unsurprisingly, the commute is less than spectacular..

“Last year, I would leave my house at 7 and get back after 10,” says Huck. “It took me an hour to get there.”

The grind has proved tough for Huck, but it is paying off; he is being pursued by several colleges, including Division-I Princeton and Cornell, both of whom flew him out to visit earlier this year.

“Princeton and Cornell, those would be nice,” says Huck. “Ivies don’t give full scholarships, but they would definitely give a push as far as applications.”

True, Princeton and Cornell are schools in their own class, but they require excellent grades — something Huck might be lacking, ironically, as a result of soccer.

“I missed a month of school [total] last year traveling,” says Huck, “and it just killed my homework.”

The loss of an impeccable transcript may be tough, the travel may be taxing, but they are sacrifices Huck accepts because of his love for soccer. But he is missing Garfield’s soccer season for more: his dedication to Crossfire and the opportunity to compete against the best young athletes America has to offer. For a young man likely headed to a premier university, what better way to prepare?