For Cookeville Cavaliers lacrosse player and attackman Caden Reed, the highlight-reel goals are only part of the story. Coming off a career season that helped propel Cookeville High School to the state championship game, Reed says his focus this year is on something less flashy, but just as important.
Reed, a dynamic presence on the Cavaliers’ lacrosse attack, emerged last season as one of the team’s most reliable scorers, posting a career high in goals as Cookeville battled its way through a deep postseason run. But Reed said when he reflects on what made that season special, his mind does not go straight to the stat sheet.
“A lot of lacrosse, it’s not about making the big plays, it’s about making the small plays,” Reed said. “Maybe giving an assist, not necessarily scoring goals, but assisting your teammates and helping them score the goals.”
That team-first mentality showed up throughout the Cavaliers’ run. Reed contributed across the board, from goals and assists to ground balls. In games like the win over Science Hill, where he filled the box score with multiple goals and loose-ball pickups, and the matchup against Green Hill, where his passing helped set up key scores, Reed said he proved his value went far beyond finishing plays.
More than anything, Reed said he points to composure as the defining trait of this upcoming year’s squad.
“That’s a big part of lacrosse because there’s so many opportunities to score goals, make good passes, get a good ground ball, so it’s all about that next play mentality, which really helped me this year.” Reed said.
That mindset will be crucial again in March, especially with a mix of experienced leaders and younger players stepping into bigger roles. Reed is one of several seniors returning to a program that now knows what it takes to reach the state’s biggest stage.
The Cavaliers’ postseason ended in heartbreak with a playoff loss to Farragut, a moment Reed said still fuels him.
“It hit me pretty hard after our big loss in the playoffs against Farragut,” Reed said. “But it’s kind of a new eagerness to be better next year for our team and to come back better next year.”
Looking further ahead, Reed has his sights set on the next level, with hopes of continuing his lacrosse career in college. But for now, his attention is squarely on Cookeville, the Cavaliers, and the pursuit of another deep postseason run, built one small play at a time.