For Reservoir boys soccer players David Harris and Kyle Saunderson, who both verbally committed on Tuesday night to play collegiately at UMBC next season, there were no master plans to continue playing together after high school.
In fact, up until this past fall, both guys had floated the idea of focusing on academics and just playing club soccer in college.
However, after a crazy few weeks where the recruiting process really picked up, the dynamic duo that led the Gators to a 13-2 record last season is sticking together with a program that is right around the corner.
"David and I have talked throughout the whole process about where we were looking and everything, but it wasn't until just a few weeks ago when UMBC started really talking to me that we realized we might be going to the same college together," said Saunderson. "It's crazy how things can happen so fast. UMBC emailed me before the Disney Showcase Tournament, which started the day after Christmas, that they were coming down to watch me play. I got a text from associate head coach Anthony Adams after one of the games saying I did a great job and to call him when I got back.
"We talked, they offered me a guaranteed roster spot and everything fell into place."
Harris had been on UMBC's radar since October and he picked up an offer of his own from the school recently. Between the Retrievers' recent run to the national semifinals in their first College Cup appearance and then one of his best friends — Saunderson — about to come on board, Harris said he couldn't have drawn things up any better.
"Things I guess have a way of working out," Harris said. "Throughout high school, Kyle has been one of my best friends. Knowing that I'm going to be with him for another four years, at one of the best programs right now in the country, is pretty amazing. We actually will probably end up rooming together."
Saunderson and Harris both play club ball in the Soccer Association of Columbia program, although are on different teams.
Prior to UMBC joining the mix at the end of December, Saunderson said he had actually made up his mind on where he was going to attend college.
"I was basically ready to commit to Winthrop and head South," he said. "When UMBC contacted me, that kind of threw me for a loop and made me reconsider everything."
Saunderson said that he had actually already applied to UMBC and the University of Maryland as back-up schools for academics, per his parents' request, should things not work out on the soccer front. It turns out he'll get the best of both worlds.
Harris, meanwhile, said that as recently as September he had resigned himself to the fact that his competitive soccer career might have ended after high school.
"I was looking at four schools — Ohio State, Maryland, West Virginia and Pittsburgh — and none of them were for soccer," Harris said. "I didn't think the opportunity was going to be there. I figured I would go somewhere for academics and then just aim to play club. Then UMBC stepped forward and everything changed."
Harris, who plans to study to be a dental hygienist, says UMBC has a terrific program for his major.
Harris and Saunderson, each first-team all-county selections as seniors, plan to make their decisions official during the spring signing period that begins Feb. 4.