'Totally selfless': Northwest boys soccer's Garrett Baughman is a top goal scorer and more

His position on the pitch can change at any time. His ability to score always remains constant.

That's what makes Northwest High School senior soccer player Garrett Baughman even more dangerous than his numbers indicate. Baughman ranks in the top eight in the state in Division II for goals scored with 17. Baughman has scored 31 goals for his career all while doing whatever is asked of him.

"He's just totally selfless," Northwest head coach Dave Cooper said. "He just has an inner drive to always do his best and he has always been willing to do whatever it takes to help the team. We've played him at forward, attacking mid and even right back. He's been all over the field for us during his career."

Sometimes the moves are due to injury or illness. Sometimes the position switches are due to strategy. One thing that is certain is Baughman's effort is always remains the constant.

"He's just a really creative player," Cooper said. "He creates a lot of great opportunities for himself and everybody around him. He is a really shifty and agile player that is tough to defend. You know he is going to give you everything he has got until the final whistle. He just neve stops and it's really inspiring to the rest of the team. He's one of those guys that his actions speak louder than his words do."

That type of consistency is what Baughman strives for.

"I just try to keep the same mentality no matter where I play on the field," Baughman said. "My goal is to always keep the same mindset. ... I just love playing soccer and I love being around my teammates. We have a great group of guys. We have a real family atmosphere here."

Baughman credits teammates such as co-captain Gavin Laudermilk, Max Zink, Evan Schmeltzer and Ayden Albright for helping him score so many goals this season.

"My teammates have helped me out a lot with that," Baughman said. "They do a great job of setting me up with passes. They have helped generate a lot of opportunities for me that I have been able to capitalize on."

As the PAC-7 postseason tournament and OHSAA tournament approaches, Baughman is hoping for a strong conclusion to his soccer career. He does not have the goal of playing in college.

"I really had that burning desire to play college soccer when I was younger," Baughman said. "I used to think about it a lot. As I've grown and matured, I'm not so sure that is the best fit for me. I'm not so sure that I really want to play in college."

One thing that is for sure as the season winds down, no matter how the season ends or tournament plays out, Baughman will give Northwest full effort.

"Having a kid like him on the team means a lot," Cooper said. "He's just a great young man. He's a well rounded individual and the way he approaches the game is infectious. He has a passion for the game and his teammates know how much he enjoys playing with them. You can tell he just really relishes every moment."

Reach Cliff at cliff.hickman@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @chickmanREP