MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP – High school sports, perhaps more than anything, are all about community.

And it’s been that sense of community that has kept Liam Smith loyal to the Reeths-Puffer soccer team when he could have easily left the high school program for more elite opportunities.

The Rockets are certainly glad he did. Smith is closing in on the school’s career goal scoring and assist records, and he took a big step forward in R-P’s season opener on Wednesday night, scoring four goals in an 8-0 win over Ludington.

From a practical perspective, the elite club soccer route may have gotten Smith more exposure in terms of college recruiting. These days many kids who get Division 1 soccer scholarships skip their high school careers and play for year-round traveling teams.

But Smith, a fourth-year scoring phenom for the Rockets, knows some things are more important than the cut-throat competition that exists for a limited number of scholarships.

He knows it’s been important to enjoy his high school experience, represent his school and community, and stick with the teammates that he’s formed a close bond with.

In other words, for Smith there’s more to soccer than just soccer.

“It’s probably been the most important experience of my life,” Smith said about playing for R-P. “You learn things from high school that you’d never learn in club. You get to play in front of friends and family while playing for the community.

“Having that school badge is so much more important than playing club year around. If a future player was to ask me if they should play high school, I’d say to play high school for sure. It’s something a lot of people never get to experience these days.”

While the rumor seemed to circulate every year that Smith might leave the Rockets to focus on club soccer, he said that was never the case.

He has indeed played club soccer, for the Michigan Rangers Soccer Club in the Grand Rapids area. But officials with that club believe in the value of high school soccer and don’t field teams during the prep season.

In the end it didn’t matter for Smith, because his success at the high school and club level helped him land a partial scholarship at Western Michigan University, where he will study and play soccer next year.

“Literally, the only temptation was before my freshman year,” Smith said about the possibility of playing club soccer full time. “I still have no idea where that (annual rumor) comes from. It’s a little frustrating because I love this team so much and they know I love them. Every single year after my freshman year, I was always coming back. It was always so much fun, and I can’t give that up.”

The enjoyment, according to Smith, comes from the fact that he gets to be out on the practice field every day with his classmates who have become best friends.

“You’re with these guys every day for three or four months,” he said. “You start in the summer and then the season is two or three months long. You see each other every day and I think you grow a lot closer through that.

“Going through wins and losses and things like that help you grow together. I don’t think I’d probably talk to some of these guys after high school if I hadn’t played school soccer, so it’s given me a great experience.”

R-P soccer coach Kody Harrell credits Smith’s parents for instilling a strong sense of community in their talented son. He also thinks Smith enjoys playing in front of big crowds of excited Rocket fans more than playing for the few people who take in club games.

“We get way more fans at high school games,” the coach said.

At some point during the new season Smith is likely to break the school’s career scoring and assist records. He is currently 12 goals and 12 assists away.

The senior likes the idea of breaking the records but says he won’t be crushed if it doesn’t happen.

“Especially as a high school student, you always want your name there, but you don’t want to peak in high school,” said Smith, who currently has 65 goals and 25 assists through three years of varsity. “You want to leave a legacy but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t get them. I’ve been preparing for it, though.”

While Smith’s offensive contributions have always been incredible, Coach Harrell thinks his biggest growth has come in the leadership category. When things go wrong on the field, Smith keeps a stiff upper lip, and that attitude spreads to teammates.

“When something doesn’t go our way, they’ll (teammates) look in his direction,” Harrell said. “He’s really done a great job of developing and showing positive body language, on top of creating a name for himself.”

Smith thinks he could be a better leader and hopes to accomplish that this season.

“It takes a lot of leadership in this game,” he said. “I started on this team at 14 and I’ll be 18 next month. You grow up a lot and learn about your peers. It’s one of those things that I’ve learned more about and I can always get better at.”