JANUARY 13 • 2022 | 27
Red Hawks (23-2-1) ahead
of Traverse City West for
good. His second OT goal
made it 4-1.
“Ryan always gave us
everything he had athletically,
emotionally and mentally,
and he was always dialed in
and ready for big moments,
even when he was a sopho-
more in that state champion-
ship game,” Heugh said.
Athens made it to the
Division 1 state semifinals in
2020, but lost 2-0 to Traverse
City West.
This past season had a dif-
ferent feel for the Red Hawks.
Gruca was the captain of a
young team that needed lead-
ership and a role model, and
he was there to supply both.
“I was happy with the sea-
son,” he said. “We got better
as the year went along.”
Heugh said Gruca was a
fine captain.
“Ryan brought the younger
guys along with him,” he said.
“He always demanded his
personal best and he had high
expectations for others.”
Athens finished 13-4-2
this past fall, losing 1-0 to
archrival Troy in a Division 1
district semifinal game.
“We came so close to scoring
against Troy three or four times
in that game,
” Gruca said.
Gruca had seven goals
and 11 assists for Athens as a
sophomore. He was No. 4 in
scoring on the team with 18
points.
He became a full-time
starter when he was a junior
“and started taking over
games,” Heugh said.
Gruca was the Athens team
leader in goals, assists and
points as a junior and senior.
He had 10 goals and 12
assists in 2020, and 17 goals
and six assists in 2021.
Gruca didn’t play for
Athens as a freshman, opting
to play for his club soccer
team. He said he’s glad he
joined the Red Hawks as a
sophomore and stayed on the
squad for three years.
“I watched the Athens boys
soccer team play when I was
in middle school, and I had
a lot of friends on the team,”
he said about his decision to
play high school soccer.
“Plus, I already knew
Coach Heugh. I had him for
a teacher in middle school,”
he said.
That was in a video class at
Larson Middle School. Gruca,
then an eighth-grader, and
Heugh talked about soccer
often during the class.
“I’m glad Ryan played high
school soccer. I think he
fully enjoyed the experience,”
Heugh said.
Gruca loves soccer. And he
loves winning.
“I’m very competitive,” he
said. “I also love being on a
team. You’re a band of broth-
ers that will have each other’s
backs for life.”
Gruca’s parents are Jeff
and Karen Gruca. He has a
younger brother Jake, 14.
Please send sports news to
stevestein502004@yahoo.com.
Ryan Gruca
ATHENS BOOSTERS