Jim Mashek

REYNOLDS, A RUGGED LINEBACKER/FULLBACK IN FOOTBALL, IS HEADED TO WKU ON AN ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP FOR BASEBALL

It had been on his mind for a while, going back to South Warren High School’s baseball season and the impending football campaign to coincide with his senior year at the school.

It wasn’t an easy decision, as South Warren senior Ethan Reynolds said in emphatic tones, but it may have been a prudent one, given the stakes for his athletic future and the nature of football.

The game has ultimately transformed from a “contact sport” to a “collision sport” over the years, and intrinsic injuries can loom in the long run.

Reynolds spent much of the summer playing travel baseball away from Bowling Green, after his all-state season for the Spartans, and he spent plenty of time consulting with his parents, Jason and Kelly Reynolds, as well as teammates in both baseball and football.

(Kelly Reynolds has taken the top-flight South Warren fast-pitch softball team, as the team’s head coach, to the semifinals of the KHSAA state tournament in two of the last three seasons.)

Ultimately, though, Ethan Reynolds had to make the decision for himself.

And Reynolds, a star linebacker/fullback in football and infielder/outfielder/pitcher in baseball, has chosen to concentrate on baseball for his senior year at South Warren, after which he will enroll at Western Kentucky University on a baseball scholarship in 2025.

Still, it was a decision that gave him some pause, perhaps more so after South Warren opened the football season with an impressive 24-0 victory over Louisville’s Ballard High School last week in Campbellsville.

“Yes, it was a difficult decision, a lot of long nights thinking about it,” Reynolds said via text message on Wednesday night. “I prayed for guidance, on my decision, even though I never really thought too much about injuries, because I know you can get hurt doing almost anything in daily activities, especially in sports.

“Baseball is a huge aspect in my life, and so much of my time is built around it. Moving forward, I really wanted to get my game for the best (South Warren) season possible (in 2025). One more year, and then my future.

“After I made my decision, I told Coach (Marc) Rardin (the third-year WKU baseball coach) about what I wanted to do.”

South Warren’s veteran football coach, Brandon Smith, couldn’t be reached for comment. The Spartans (1-0) have a big non-district game on tap as they’ll square off with Henderson County (1-0) on Friday night in Henderson, Kentucky.

Henderson County stopped Meade County, 43-29, on Opening Night.

Ethan Reynolds said he remains close with his South Warren football teammates and is looking forward to his final season with the Spartans’ baseball team. Reynolds helped South Warren reach the state tournament in 2023, where they reached the quarterfinals at Lexington’s Legions FIeld.

Eventual state champion Whitley County eliminated the Spartans, 7-4, in the state tournament. South Warren won 12 of its last 14 games to finish at 27-10 overall.

“I’m still around everyone on the football team,” Reynolds said. “They’re looking at a very bright season (South went 9-3 last year and won the KHSAA Class 5A state championship in 2021, his freshman year), and they look very good through Week One. I’m hoping for the best, for all my guys.”

Reynolds, a 6-foot, 215-pound athlete, also has a 4.0 grade-point average. He’s played with such exceptional football players such as senior QB Bryce Button, senior defensive lineman/tight end Ayden Page, senior outside linebacker/tight end Colton Veltkamp, senior lineman Cameron Bell and junior running back/safety Kayden York.

Last year, as a junior, Reynolds missed two games with a leg injury but still put up some impressive numbers in 10 games with the Spartans.

On offense, he carried the ball 31 times for 179 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 357 yards and four more TDs.

Defensively, he remained an impact player.

Reynolds finished third on the team in tackles and often drew double-team blocking assignments. He recorded 59 tackles, including 10 tackles for losses, in 10 games. He also had four sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

In baseball, Reynolds joins forces with senior teammate Griffin Rardin, the son of the WKU head coach who also is planning to play college baseball for the Hilltoppers, along with standouts such as junior outfielder Jaxen Decker, senior left-handed pitcher Mikey Coradini and sophomore pitcher/outfielder Camden Page.

Page is a sophomore quarterback on the football team, and Bryce Button’s backup and understudy for the future. South Warren has had an abundance of multi-sport athletes over the years.

“I’m extremely excited about the future, going forward,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds had a breakout season for the Spartans earlier this year, even though the team leveled off with an 18-18 finish, one year removed from the state tournament appearance.

Reynolds was batting over .500 for the bulk of the high school baseball season, and finished with some otherworldly numbers for the 2024 season.

Reynolds led his team in batting average (.455), home runs (9), RBI (38) and extra-base hits (23). In 99 at bats, he struck out only four times, while drawing 15 walks. On the mound, Reynolds was used primarily by a reliever by veteran South coach Chris Gage. He worked 18 innings while posting a 3-3 record with a 5.83 ERA.

In his sophomore year, with South’s State Tournament squad, Reynolds went 3-1 on the mound while batting a team-high .432. He also had 13 extra-base hits, including three home runs, and 19 RBI.

“I’m excited about the future, going forward,” Reynolds said. “I pray for the future and what it holds for me and my family, in the future.”