Sophomore Ross McGoodwin of Bryan Station High is an accomplished musician, playing the cello since he was 6 and performing numerous recitals over the years.
But that figures -- his mother Stacey plays violin in the Lexington Philharmonic and has taught countless children over the years from her studio at home.
Ross also is an accomplished tennis player, making the Bryan Station varsity as a freshman.
But that also figures -- his father is an avid player and his grandmother Susan Gilliam played and taught the sport in Lexington.
If music comes from mom and tennis from his dad, soccer is all Ross.
Starting as a 5-year-old in the LYSA recreation leagues, Ross has been a Select player since he was 10, playing on all star teams that traveled across the state and beyond.
Now a starting midfielder on the Bryan Station varsity, Ross has helped spearhead the transformation of the Defenders from laughing stock to contenders.
With Ross keying the defense as a starter when he was a freshman, Bryan Station posted a respectable 7-8 record.
And this year, the Defenders boasted a winning record that included a victory over a Lexington team for the “first time in forever,” Ross said.
Highlights included shutouts of Sayre (3-0) and Scott County (4-0), a 1-1 tie with Tates Creek and close losses to Lafayette (1-0), ranked 16th in the state at the time, and Henry Clay (2-0, third in the state.)
Striving for a landmark playoff victory, the Defenders dropped a heartbreaker to Tates Creek, 2-1, despite solid defensive play and the team’s lone goal by Ross.
“Our freshman year, we had to settle for moral victories because we were playing against guys that were much bigger than us, sometimes as much as 100 pounds,” said Ross, who now stands 5-foot-7 and weighs 130 pounds.
“Before, when you said you played for Bryan Station, people laughed.
“They’re not laughing anymore. We’re getting respect now.”
The success has come without the team’s use of a secret weapon. Although practically everyone on the team speaks Spanish -- a strategy that might confuse opponents -- it also would baffle Defender Coach Dan Hacker.
The team consists primarily of players in the school’s Spanish Immersion Program. Ross is fluent, making it easier to recruit the school’s Latino players to the team.
Ross’s fluency also helped his parents when the family vacationed in Costa Rica four years ago.
“He was our interpreter the whole time,” his mother Stacey said. “He haggled with cab drivers.
“And the Costa Ricans had such respect for him. It was a magical trip.”
There’s nothing magical about Ross’ success in the classroom -- he carries a 3.85 GPA in advanced classes, including an AP world civilization class.
Ross is a diligent student who uses his time efficiently and never shrinks from a challenge.
“I don’t like worrying about my homework so I get it done right away,” Ross said. “If I have four days to do a project, I get it done the first day.”
Said Rett, his father: “He manages his time very well and enjoys challenges. The hardest teachers in school, they’re his favorites.”
There was nothing hard about coaching Ross, said Rett, his youth soccer coach for years.
“He hustles, never quits and his work ethic is really high,” Rett said. “He was very coachable and always had a sense of duty about playing.”
A sense of duty? Again, that is all Ross.