Crown Point senior Trevor Peal takes nothing for granted.
Not a position. Not even playing time.
Crown Point coach Mike Bazin described Peal as a midfielder/defender/striker and called him “just an absolutely wonderful person and player.”
“He had a conversation with me over the summer where he was like, ‘Where do you see me playing?'” Bazin said. “I was like, ‘How about goalie?’ And he said, ‘I’m your man, coach.’ He’s just a guy who’s willing to do whatever is needed for the team.
“He’s just such a good all-around player. You can put him anywhere on the field, and he’ll impact the game. He’s an overall utility player. … If we have any success this season, it’s going to be surrounding him.”
After two seasons on the junior varsity team, Peal secured a varsity starting spot as a central defender last year. He figures to continue to play that position much of the time for Crown Point, which opened this season with a 9-0 Duneland Athletic Conference victory against Michigan City on Wednesday.
Peal plays forward for his club team. But as long as he is on the field for the Bulldogs, it doesn’t matter to him where he plays.
Peal narrowly missed out on making the varsity team two years ago and recalls spending the season on JV before getting a call-up to play nine minutes in a sectional-opening win against Kankakee Valley. He didn’t get off the bench in a season-ending loss to Chesterton in the next game.
“It hurt so much,” Peal said. “All I wanted to do was get out there and help my team. That’s why I vowed, that sophomore summer going into junior year, I was like, ‘I have to make varsity. I have to play.’ And it worked.”
Peal earned all-conference honors. He was Crown Point’s defensive MVP.
“I’m working on all-state this year. That’s my plan,” he said.
Peal’s dedication stands out.
“The biggest thing that comes to mind with Trevor is always just his work ethic,” Bazin said. “He’s in a rare class of players with just his work rate and effort. When we’re running sprints, he’s always winning or challenging the guy who’s winning. When the team needs a pick-me-up, he’s the guy they always go to. He’s just a kid you can say you’re very proud to have coached.”
Peal is a tri-captain, along with senior forward Quinn Clayton and senior defender Dimitri Zaronias.
“He’s a good balance of drive and being good-natured,” Bazin said of Peal. “He’s a kid you’re just super proud to have in your program because he brings everyone up but isn’t like that general. He’s the well-loved general.”
Count sophomore midfielder Brayden Kurtz as one of those teammates who appreciates Peal’s approach.
“He brings great camaraderie,” Kurtz said. “He’s a great captain to have. He shows great leadership on this team. He’s a great guider, telling players where to go. He’s like an older brother on the team.
“He’s so fast, and he can defend. He’s great in the back. He’s our best defender. He’s strong, he’s physical, he’s fast. He basically can do it all. He’s very versatile.”
Providing guidance is something Peal takes seriously.
“It’s not about criticism. It’s constructive criticism,” he said. “That’s a big thing we’ve been talking about. It’s not a personal attack if you’re getting criticized. It’s just a, ‘Hey, what can you do better?'”
In season and out, Peal often spearheads group chats to rally the players for training. As one recent example, after the Bulldogs’ originally scheduled season opener against West Lafayette Harrison on Monday was postponed by the weather, they gathered at Sparta Dome to get in some work.
“We’re super dedicated, especially after last year,” Peal said, referring to the Bulldogs’ 7-8-2 record and sectional-opening loss to Hobart. “We didn’t have a great year, and I don’t want to be a part of a team like that anymore. I expect perfection, they expect perfection, Bazin needs perfection. We have to bring it back.”
For Crown Point, which won state titles in 2011 and 2013, it means competing at the highest level. Peal cautioned against underestimating the Bulldogs this season.
“I feel like we can beat anyone in this whole conference,” he said. “I feel like we can beat anyone in the whole state. That’s how confident I am with my guys. I roll with them, they roll with me.
“Especially now that I’m a senior, I’m thinking there’s no one older than me. I’m thinking I’m as fast as I could ever be, I’m as strong as I could ever be. Any guy I see, I’m just like, ‘I can take him,’ or my teammate can take him. It’s just really a confidence thing.”
