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

