High school soccer: Keita Kikuchi quickly adjusting, making his mark at Flowery Branch

Apr. 23—One of the ways in which the dynamics of a high school sports team closely mirrors the general student body of the school it represents is that there are certain individual members who find it easy to instantly make friends and command respect.

At first glance and from an outsider's perspective, it might seem difficult to see Keita Kikuchi as one of those individuals.

After all, the Flowery Branch soccer player seems like a shy kid, particularly given the fact that he is still quite new to Hall County, having only moved in from Ohio in December.

And while his command of the English language is strong, he is still adjusting to the cultural differences after being in the United States only a few years after moving from his birthplace in Japan.

Yet, there was Kichuchi being lifted in the air by teammates and fellow students chanting his name following his game-winning goal with three minutes that lifted the sixth-ranked Falcons (11-5-3) to a 2-1 victory over Cambridge in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs last Tuesday in Flowery Branch.

And as Flowery Branch coach Billy Johnson points out, the admiration Kikuchi draws from his teammates goes far beyond making a key play in an important match.

"I think the way he was able to fit in so much was how hard he works," Johnson said of Kikuchi. "Anyone wants to be around someone who comes to practice every single day and is always positive and is always working hard.

"There have been times throughout the season (that) the work ethic hasn't been there (among the team) in practice, but you never have to worry about that with Keita. That's why has able to grow on his teammates so much. Everyone wants to be around someone who is always positive and is always working hard."

Still, it often takes time for players who are more established with that program to get to know a newcomer and establish a positive relationship with that newcomer.

In Kikuchi's case, he didn't have a whole lot of time to do so, since he moved in less than a month before the current semester.

However, the timing might have actually been a good thing, given that it was only a few short weeks before team tryouts and preseason practice began for the Falcons, forcing the sophomore and his new teammates to get to know each other and build a bond.

And as Kikuchi himself points out, he wasn't the only newcomer to the team for the 2023 season.

"It was not only me to came here (to the team new) this year," Kikuchi said. "So yeah, we came to know each other very quickly. ... "My teammates (were) very friendly, so I was able to get in (with the team and the school) very quickly. I'm so thankful of that. I came here in December, so I had soccer tryouts (and preseason practice) very quickly. So, I came to know them quickly. ... I respect (the other players), too. So, I'm not that surprised. I can't explain it very well, but I like them, and they like me back, too."

There's a lot to like about the impact Kikuchi has had on the Falcons on the pitch, as well.

The goal he scored Tuesday was his eighth on the season to go with five assists, though he value to the team goes far beyond mere numbers.

While he has played a lot as an offensive attacker at his normal wing position, he has also shown plenty of versatility by contribute on the defensive end and both the center and outside fullback positions despite never having played much at either spot before.

"I'd been playing winger back in Ohio and in Japan, but (Johnson) was the first one to (ask) me (to) play a different position. I'm grateful for that," Kikuchi said. "(Fullback) is a different mindset, but my teammates helped me with how to play those positions, and I was able to (learn them)."

Johnson is also quick to point out that Kikuchi's willingness to accept a role so different to the one he's been used to and put so much work into it in order to help the team win has facilitated the rapid acceptance and admiration he has from his teammates.

"That's why he's been perfect for (the team)," Johnson said. "A lot of players on the high school level, when they're put in a different position than they've played every day, and they want to play whatever position they're comfortable in. Keita has played centerman, he's played a side back, he's played a winger. Every single position you put him in, he's been comfortable in.

"It goes back to leading by example. We have vocal leaders, and we have the players you just know are going to give everything they can. That's why everyone respects him. Everyone, honestly, gets motivated by him because they know he's chasing every last ball. They know he's giving it everything he's got. I've never heard him complain once, no matter what's going on."

That, along with the importance of the moment, goes a long way to explaining the reaction from his teammates and fellow students following his big goal last Tuesday.

And it was a moment he admits caught him by surprise and brought out his inner shyness, even if he did find it enjoyable.

"That was my first experience (with anything like that)," Kikuchi said. "I was a little embarrassed, but I was happy."

Whether Kikuchi gets to experience another moment like that or not, one thing that Johnson is certain of is that the example he displays with his skill and work ethic will be very important to the Falcons' fortunes throughout the rest of the state playoffs, beginning with a state quarterfinal game this Tuesday against No. 5 Union Grove in McDonough.

"He's crucial," Johnson said. "Wherever he plays, he's going to create a problem for the other team, and we know for a fact we've got someone who's going to leave everything they have on the field for us.

"So not only is a tough player to defend against, but even if he's not doing anything with the ball at his feet, we know it's almost like having a 12th man on the field when he's out there because he's going to chase everything down until that final whistle blows. I don't care if the score is 5-0 us or 5-0 them, he's going to give everything he has."