Lakeview quarterback Ted Reynolds has only been at the helm of the Lions offense since midway through last season. When he was put into the position, Reynolds admits he was hesitant, but coach Matthew Gruhn had confidence that Reynolds could lead the team on and off the field.

“He can handle the highs and lows of that position,” Gruhn said, “He can have a big game, and then someone else can have a big game and he’s OK with that. There’s never any selfishness.”

Reynolds certainly had a big game in last week’s 34-0 win over Towns County, recording 217 yards rushing with four touchdowns and guiding the Lions to their first winning season in school history. For his efforts, Reynolds has been named The Times Player of the Week in the final game of his high school career.

“We played our most complete game of the season,” Reynolds said, “As a senior, you never want to go out on a loss.”

Although he appears frequently among the Lions’ stat leaders, Reynolds credits much of the team’s success to his teammates and the 17 seniors that he has been playing with for years.

“It could be myself, it could be Caleb Faulkner or Trevor Price,” Reynolds said. “We just have to go out and do our job, and there’s no question that they’re not going to do their job. The offensive line did a great job.”

Gruhn and Reynolds both agree that football is the “ultimate team game,” but Gruhn also believes that Reynolds and the senior class played a huge role in this history-making season.

“(Reynolds) understood what we were trying to do,” Gruhn said. “He has a great heart for the program, and they have great heart for each other. They provided a good idea of what it takes to be successful.”

Lakeview’s offense, with Reynolds behind the wheel, found ways to execute plays, find momentum and get motivated, even after a pair of consecutive losses.

“They believed in themselves and their motivation never wavered,” Gruhn said. “We just kept doing what we were doing.”

Gruhn thinks that Reynolds’ commitment to the team, work ethic and unselfishness were key to helping the team succeed.

“He’s certainly a captain,” Gruhn said.

“I had to be a leader,” Reynolds said. “But with 17 seniors, I didn’t have to be a huge vocal leader. I tried to lead by example.”

Even though Reynolds admits that the season being finished for him and this year’s seniors is sad, he understands what the season meant for the school and the future of the program.

“It’s still a young program, but we showed that we know how to execute,” Reynolds said. “We have a sense of accomplishment. The seniors did something special.”

“They’re leaving a legacy of trying to achieve excellence,” Gruhn said. “They provided a good idea of what it takes.”