Boys soccer: Wadsworth's Tanner Sir Louis oasis of calm on the field

If the Wadsworth boys soccer team ever finds chaos swirling around it, the Grizzlies know where to look. No matter how intense things get, senior captain Tanner Sir Louis will be holding down the back line from his center back position with his typical calm demeanor like a house holding firm in the middle of a storm. "He's steady," Wadsworth coach John Johnson said. "He doesn't seem to get rattled, which is a great feature to have in somebody anchoring your back line. "He gives us an overwhelming sense of calm, because you never see him get too excited one way or the other." Johnson credits his other captains, Michael Watson and Alex Innocenti, with having the same ability to stay even-keeled and always ready for the next play. That will be key for an experienced Grizzlies team that has big goals after finishing second in the Suburban League National Conference and compiling a 14-3-1 record last season with a number of first-time starters. Sir Louis puts those team goals ahead of his personal achievements. "I just want to play well and help the team in any way I can," Sir Louis said. "I think we can be really good this year. Winning the Suburban League is a big goal for us this year. A couple years ago we came close, but we're hoping to do that this year." The 5-foot-11, 160-pounder likes to use his strength and athleticism to hold an advantage over the talented scorers on Wadsworth's schedule, but he knows that his mentality plays a big role in his success on the pitch, where he led a defense that allowed 19 goals in 18 games last season on his way to earning All-Gazette, second-team All-Suburban League and honorable mention Greater Akron District honors. "It's just my personality," Sir Louis said. "I try to not get too worked up about anything and stay composed on the field the best I can. I think it's important to have good composure, because when you get too high or low it can affect your play." Sir Louis also is a leader in the way he carries himself in practice. Whether it is setting up cones or anything else, no job to help the team is beneath him. "He's far from arrogant when he steps on the field," Johnson said. "In fact, I wish he was a little more, 'I got this', but he quietly gets his job done. He's coachable and is always positive. If something needs done, he's the first to go do it and never thinks he's above it. That filters through the team." Sir Louis and Johnson credit him learning from former Wadsworth center back Abe Watson, who is now a student at Purdue University, in helping him develop his game and mentality. Sir Louis was on junior varsity as a freshman, backed up Watson as a sophomore, became a starter last season and now has more confidence and higher expectations of himself entering his senior season. "(Watson) was a really solid player," Sir Louis said. "Even after my freshman year, I'd sit in the stands after the JV game, watch what he was doing and try to take some of the things he was doing into my own game. "He's also a great person. I still talk to him here and there and hung out with him a couple of times." Sir Louis was born in Ohio, moved to Pennsylvania when he was young and finished the fourth grade at neighboring Chippewa before enrolling at Wadsworth. Along with the moves, he had to adjust to a big change from a soccer perspective. Before becoming a part of the Grizzlies' program, Sir Louis was always an offensive-minded scorer, but he has grown to love defense. Sir Louis thinks that starting as an offensive player helped his understanding of the game. "It definitely helps to some extent," Sir Louis said. "I only played offense when I was younger and not to the skill level I play now, but it helps to have a general knowledge of all the positions on the field." Along with his exploits on the soccer field, Sir Louis is a pole vaulter for Wadsworth's track and field team. "It keeps me physically active in the spring," Sir Louis said. "I feel like most sports can build off each other. Doing multiple sports is a great thing and helps each other." This fall, the Grizzlies know they can rely on Sir Louis to maintain the right mentality that permeates through the team. "He's like the glue that holds us together," Johnson said. "If your leaders are calm, then your team is going to be that way. If your leaders are losing their heads, the team sees that and thinks it's acceptable or the way we're supposed to act." Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com.