Who is the best high school soccer player in Eastern Massachusetts that you might not have heard of yet? That line starts right behind Rising Tide Charter Public School’s soccer superstar Lila Ewell.
“She’s a legitimate Division 1 college soccer talent,” said Herons head coach D.J. Kelliher. “Lila has all the tools to play soccer wherever she wants to and she is such a great kid to coach.”
Some of those tools that Ewell can draw on at any time include incredible speed, a great first touch on the ball, and a good field awareness and field vision, according to Kelliher. “Lila is lights-out at getting to the goal and she is a great teammate,” he said. “She can score almost at will, but she’s constantly looking to set up teammates for their own goals.”
And there have been quite a few goals that Ewell has been a part of in less than three seasons. She has 107 goals and 31 assists for her career with three regular-season games and the state tournament left. This has been her best offensive season so far, with 42 goals and nine assists to date.
Ewell plays center mid or attack depending on the opponent. She lives in Middleboro where she is a junior at the Samuel Fuller School. The school has a co-op agreement with Rising Tide for athletics, so Ewell makes the trip to Rising Tide every day after school to work with her teammates.
“My older sister Emmy played on the soccer team here two years ago, so I came in as a freshman knowing some of the players already. That helped me feel comfortable with the team right away,” said Ewell. “Emmy was always with me that first year, helping me to get to know everyone.”
Added Kelliher, “It doesn’t hurt when you score three goals in your first game as a freshman, but her teammates genuinely love her.”
Ewell believes her speed is one of the biggest keys to her success on the pitch. A huge intangible for her is an absolute love for playing soccer. She started around age 3, with Middleboro Youth Soccer and has never stopped. When not on the field with Rising Tide, Ewell competes the rest of the year with the Scorpions SC Elite Clubs National League team.
“Playing for the Scorpions has helped make me a better soccer player. When you consistently play against top-level players, your own skills are going to naturally improve and become more refined,” she explained.
The club season runs basically year-round except for the two months reserved for the high school season. Ewell has a tournament with the Scorpions scheduled around Thanksgiving. Scorpion practices and weekend tournaments will continue all the way through the end of the summer.
“I do give myself some rest and time to let the body repair itself, but there has never been a time where I felt burned out and didn’t want to play soccer,” said Ewell. “I want to play soccer at the highest level possible. I’m just not sure where that is yet.”
Rising Tide has a record of 9-4-2 with three games left this week, at Bourne and then they return to Forges Field No. 2 for home games against Falmouth Academy and then Bourne again to close out the regular season.
The latest MIAA Division 5 power rankings have the Herons at No. 17. The final tournament brackets will be assembled on Thursday, Nov. 5.
David Wolcott can be reached at dwolcott@plymouthindependent.org.