by Aaron Burns



DENVER – Adriene Reavis had nothing to lose when she began her senior girls soccer season at East Lincoln High.

Reavis had decided she would attend UNC-Chapel Hill after graduation, but not for soccer. Her final season at East Lincoln could also be her final year of competition.

What a year it was.

Reavis shattered the Mustangs’ all-time and season scoring records, posting 28 goals in the 2012 campaign to finish with 62 for her career.

She guided the Mustangs to a 14-7-3 record and a 10-2 mark in Southern Piedmont 1A/2A conference play.

Reavis’ exploits on the field made her the Denver Weekly 2012 Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

“Adriene leaves East Lincoln as one of the best players we’ve ever had,” Mustangs coach Jason Dragoon said. “She played a big role in helping us win 10 conference games.”

The wins weren’t the shocking part to Reavis. She knew East Lincoln had a talented team that could beat any other.

As for the Mustangs’ scoring record – which she first broke in 2011 when she scored 24 goals – that was another story.

“That really surprised me,” Reavis said. “I started the season thinking that if I couldn’t beat the record then I’d be disappointed in myself. Our offense was better than ever. I just played my game and it happened.”

Dragoon described Reavis’ game as sound and technical soccer. She’s always been a smart player who got the best not just out of herself but also her teammates, he said.

“Adriene was more than just a scorer,” Dragoon said. “She really stepped up her vocal leadership as a senior. She led pregame stretches. She helped set a good example in practice by showing her younger teammates how to work together to be better players.

“She did a lot more than put the ball in the net.”

But that aspect of Reavis’ game was the most noticeable. She accounted for more than 45 percent of East Lincoln’s scoring in 2012.

Reavis gave Dragoon much of the credit for her development as a player, which contributed to her scoring prowess.

“He’s the best coach I’ve ever had,” Reavis said. “He cares about his players and he spends a lot of his time trying to make them as good as possible.”

It seems that Dragoon maximized Reavis’ abilities as a senior.

Reavis said her career at East Lincoln was thoroughly enjoyable. But it ended on a frustrating note with a 3-2 loss to Polk County on May 11 in the second round of the Class 2A state playoffs.

“I don’t focus on that though,” Reavis said. “I think of the good times. And there were a lot more of those.”

Reavis said her senior season at East Lincoln made her decide to join the Tar Heels’ club soccer team. But the nothing-to-lose attitude helped get her the record she says she’s ready to see broken.

“I want it to happen,” Reavis said.

“I know it meant a lot to me to (break the scoring record). Now I want someone else to do it.”