Huntington North High School senior Braden Estep made his college choice official on Thursday afternoon, putting pen to paper to sign with Trine University to continue his academic and soccer careers. With friends and family in attendance to support him, Estep was excited to finally commit to playing soccer in college.
"I've been looking forward to this day since I started playing soccer," Estep said. "It's just a big stress reliever. Following God throughout the way really helped be through that." Estep played a big role for the Viking varsity soccer team all four years of his high school career, but his senior season was arguably his best. Out of Estep's 11 career goals as a Viking, 10 came as a senior. Estep also posted seven assists throughout his time as a Vike. Estep's play earned him Northeast 8 Conference All-Conference First Team honors as a senior after claiming a spot on the Honorable Mention list in both his sophomore and junior seasons.
Former Huntington North head coach Steve Saddington appreciated Estep's contributions to the program and knows Estep will have the ability to be successful at the next level.
"Braden is a very balanced and versatile soccer player," Saddington said. "He is skilled both offensively and defensively. He has the offensive skill of a wing, with the ability to cross the ball with both feet, and also has the experience, patience and composure of a defender."
Estep is excited to take the next step in his soccer career and believes Trine will be a good fit for him both on and off the field. Estep noted a few things that drew him to Trine was their coaching staff, the camaraderie of the team's players and the campus as a whole, which he said has a great culture and atmosphere.
On the field, Estep believes his speed is his biggest strength and feels it will help him contribute at the next level. A scholar-athlete as a senior, Estep plans to study sports management while at Trine.