Stephen Campbell signs with Reinhardt College

Lakeside High's leading soccer scorer will continue his athletic career at the next level.

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Stephen Campbell signed a letter of intent Thursday to play for Reinhardt College, a Division II school in Waleska, Ga.

"I had a lot of other offers, but I talked with my parents, weighed the options, and it was just the best fit financially and I'd still be close to home," the 17-year-old said.

Campbell chose Reinhardt over numerous other schools, including West Point.

"I could have went to West Point," Campbell said. "It was the best offer, but it would have been five years of college, and I decided that was too long."

Lakeside soccer coach Dave Morgan liked his starting forward's decision.

"I think the small campus will be more of a good fit for him," Morgan said. "He won't have as many distractions as he would at a large school."

Campbell leads the team in goals with 31 as of Thursday. He also has posted 11 assists.

"It's got to be close to a school record" for single season goals, Morgan said.

That goal total puts Campbell among the state's top scorers.

"He's definitely leading the region, but there are those in North Georgia who probably have scored more," Morgan said. "But he's close. He's in the top five in the state."

Once he arrives at the Appalachian Athletic Conference school, Campbell intends to study biology.

"I want to go into the medical field and become a physical therapist," he said.