In a way, Gainesville grad Aidan Reising has been following in his parents footsteps.

He said both his mother and father are into the arts. Reising, too, is something of an artist, and the soccer pitch is his canvas.

“It’s definitely its own form of art,” he said of the sports he has played since the age of 3. “You’ve got to make art with the ball; you’ve got to dance with it.”

And he and the rest of the Red Elephants 2012 senior class turned in a masterpiece of a high school career: 66 wins, one state title and two championship game appearances, including last month’s 3-1 loss to Woodward Academy in the title game at City Park Stadium, the same team Reising and the Red Elephants defeated in 2010.

Reising played a big part in the four-year run of success, as a four-year starter and an anchor of the dominant Gainesville midfield along with grads Charlie Bryant and Merly Velasquez, and rising senior Douglas Mejia. This season, Reising scored 11 goals and added 18 assists in helping to lead the Red Elephants to a second title game appearance in three seasons.

For his efforts he has been named The Times Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

“It’s been a great experience,” Reising said. “Growing up here, getting to see us make it to the state championship twice is incredible.”

His contribution to the team over the years went far beyond his statistics.

“He was definitely a leader, mainly through his actions,” said fellow 2012 Gainesville grad and defender Nathan Dillard. “The way he played and the heart he put into the game kind of rubbed off on everyone.”

Gainesville coach Rick Howard said after the championship game loss that the group of eight seniors had taught him more about coaching than any other class in his time as a head coach.

“We were a very diverse group of seniors,” Dillard said. “We were really close, had each others backs, really believed in each other.

“We had really good team chemistry.”

Dillard added that the midfield, with Reising a key part, was the strength of the team, especially with the possession style of play Gainesville is known for.

“I’ve been brought up in club soccer to play like that,” added Reising. “That’s the way I think it should be played.”

Reising said he played many sports growing up, due in large part to his parents trying to find ways to release their active son’s energy, but that soccer stuck.

“I love that it’s a team sport, and that it requires constant movement,” he said. “You always have to keep going, and the speed and intensity, I thrived with it.”

Gainesville, which under Howard focuses on possession and fast-paced, precision passing, was a perfect fit for Reising’s skills. It was also a style that fit perfectly for the wide expanses of City Park Stadium.

“It gave us a huge advantage, especially on a field like City Park,” he said. “We could work a team to death; it’s just a great style to use.”

Reising moved from defense to midfield early in his soccer career, and he said his job within the offense was mainly to keep the flow. His favorite part was setting up a goal.

“I don’t see myself as a scorer or finisher,” he said. “I liked setting up the perfect pass for goal, because without that there wouldn’t be a goal.”

He’s done it so well over the years that college programs began to take notice, resulting in his signing to play at Division I Georgia Southern University next season.

It’s just another step in Reising’s soccer journey, one he said he’d like to see continue on to the professional level. He said he’ll play anywhere, as long as somebody will give him a shot.

“I would love to play professional, that would be my No. 1 goal in life, and I really hope I can make that happen,” Reising said. “It’ll take a lot of dedication, but I think I can do it.”

And he’ll keep working to improve on his style of play, and his talent of making the ball dance with his feet, something he said he learned early on but will always be working to improve.

And he won’t forget his time as a Red Elephant.

“I don’t know if you could ask for more, except just winning that last one,” Reising said. “Just taking a program like Gainesville and taking it to where it’s been, it’s a great experience.”