Reilly Will Be ‘Tough’ To Replace at Dunbar

Reilly Teal

• School: Dunbar High
• Grade: 12
• Sports: Soccer
• Academics: Reilly has a 4.72 weighted GPA, has taken 8 A.P. classes and scored 29 on the ACT.
• Parents: Missy & Scott

Pound for pound, Reilly Teal of Dunbar High might be the toughest female soccer player in the state.

All of 5-foot-4 and 135 pounds, the Dunbar High senior is a four-year starter, two-time Bulldog MVP, two-time All-City player and was named All-State in 2014.

Reilly, who will play at Indiana State in the fall, earned those accolades on the strength of her defense and versatility.

She played forward, back and midfield for Dunbar, always guarding the opponent’s best player. That often created major size discrepancies.

“She would get hammered by these bigger players and I had to look away,” her mother Missy said. “But she always proved how tough she was.”

Reilly’s father Scott agreed. And as a federal agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, he knows about toughness.

He once hopped out of the family car in Harrodsburg and raced through the woods as he tracked down a suspect who had assaulted a police officer.

“I thought it was awesome,” said Reilly, who will major in criminal justice in college.

Said Scott: “Reilly has such grit and determination. She takes on any challenge and sacrifices her body.”

“I’ve never backed down from a slide tackle,” Reilly said with a mischievous grin.

Captain of the Dunbar team, Reilly led the Bulldogs by example, just as she did with her club teams, which have won seven state titles.

Her biggest thrill in soccer? “My favorite memory is being the first Dunbar girls team to win the Region.”

A workout enthusiast, Reilly ran on the school track team through her junior year. She has run numerous youth triathlons, raced through an eight-mile trail course and participated in a mud run, color run and a zombie run.

Reilly’s winning ways translate to the classroom. She has a 4.72 weighted GPA, has taken eight A.P. classes, scored 29 on the ACT and was Academic All-State four straight years.

She is a National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society member and was president of the junior class.

Perhaps what has brought Reilly the most joy is her work with those with disabilities. She has volunteered with the Special Olympics and with

TOPSoccer, LYSA’s program for players with disabilities of all ages.

“I love those kids,” she said. “I am learning so much from them. They change your perspective on life.”