Sparks High alum Kevin Partida signs with USL club Indy Eleven

Sparks High alum and former Reno 1868 FC standout Kevin Partida signed a deal with USL Championship side Indy Eleven on Thursday.

Partida's deal comes before the USL Championship roster freeze deadline and extends through the remainder of the 2021 season.

The 26-year-old midfielder is the only local to reach Major League Soccer and spent time with Reno 1868 FC from 2018-20 before the club was shuttered after last season. Partida was a second-team All-USL Championship pick last year.

“In Kevin Partida, we add a central midfielder who provides a box-to-box presence and can influence the game on both sides of the ball,” Indy Eleven interim head coach Max Rogers said in a news release. “After getting a good look at Kevin on trial over the last week, we are confident his professionalism both on the field and in the locker room will fit in seamlessly with our group and help propel us towards the postseason."

Partida finished last season with MLS' Minnesota United FC following the conclusion of the USL season. He helped Reno 1868 score the best record of the 2020 regular season, scoring four goals and adding an assist. In three seasons with the club, he collected five goals, three assists and 35 key passes in 41 appearances (38 starts).

A UNLV alum, Partida was a third-round pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft by the San Jose Earthquakes and made six appearances with the club. He did not get into a game with Minnesota United FC. Partida, who tore his ACL in 2016 and 2018, led Sparks High to the state title game in 2012 and had the City of Sparks designate June 1, 2019 as Kevin Partida Day.

He joins an Indy Eleven team that is tied for sixth place out of eight teams in the Eastern Conference Central division with an 8-5-12 record. The club has 29 points in 25 games.