Rosewood High School senior Reece Gery recently inked a national letter-of-intent play soccer at the University of Mount Olive. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
The scene repeated itself daily outside Eddie Maldonado’s classroom window.
Reece Gery grabbed his gear and headed toward the soccer pitch.
Maldonado watched the Rosewood High School senior stretch and warm up. Soon, Gery’s bright-colored cleats flashed in the afternoon sun as he quickly and consistently worked through his ball-handling drills.
Maldonado knew something special was brewing.
“Every day that he’s not in class, especially last year as a junior and this year because he gets out a little bit early, he’s always out there [working] by himself,” Maldonado said. “He’s on his own mindset. We knew skill-wise he was going to be good and he’s just continued to grow.”
Gery, indeed, grew as a player.
However, he did something else — reset the bar for future Eagles.
The talented midfielder helped Rosewood soar to new heights and reaped a much-deserved reward for his effort. Gery recently signed a national letter-of-intent to play soccer at the University of Mount Olive.
Proximity undoubtedly factored into Gery’s decision.
UMO also made a solid impression.
“It was the best fit player-wise on the field, and off the field with the connection of the coaches, teammates and community as well,” said Gery, who plans to major in kinesiology and minor in business.
“I love doing anything involving fitness and soccer.”
Gery’s accomplishments speak volumes.
During his junior campaign, he set the single-season state record for assists (59) and helped lead Rosewood to its first-ever appearance in the NC High School Athletic Association state 1A finals.
He shares the state record for single-game assists (nine) and ranks second all-time in career assists with 145.
With Gery on the pitch, Rosewood won three Carolina 1A regular-season championships and advanced to the east regional final in 2021. During his four years, the Eagles filed an impressive 68-14-3 worksheet.
“All four years have been great … amazing,” said Gery, who started his career with the Wayne County United Soccer Club. “I’ve had a lot of good experiences, a lot of fun and accomplished a lot of things that I never dreamed about before getting to high school.
“That comes from great teammates, great coaches and hard work.”
Like Maldonado, WCUSC coach Steve Eillis isn’t surprised by Gery’s success. He saw the youngster’s potential as a 10-year-old and sent him to play with the 11-Under squad.
Progression, self motivation, desire and character paved the road that led to Gery’s ultimate dream.
“Off the field, he’s a really good person … positive guy,” Ellis said. “He leads and plays the game [on the field]. Vision-wise, he sees stuff that most people don’t see a lot, especially straight away. His work rate is fantastic.”
Gery joins a Trojan program that finished 4-8-4 this fall.
According to the online roster, 37 underclassmen are expected to return for head coach Ian Spooner. UMO does have a developmental program, which grooms players’ adjustment to the speed and physicality of the collegiate game.
Field vision, ball control, first touch and communication were Gery’s strengths while serving as field general for the purple and gold.
What about UMO?
Gery grinned.
“At the next level, everything is different,” he said. “Everything’s quicker, everything’s stronger, everything’s faster and me, I have to adapt to that level. The first day, I’m not going to do amazing. I’ll have some things to adjust to.
“Maybe skill-wise, I might be there. My physicality and speed of play won’t be up there to start, so I think the more I can just practice and get games under my belt the better prepared I will be.”
