The dream had seemed like a fantasy for most of Taylor Smith’s life, but it turned into reality Friday morning.

The Spring Creek senior signed a national letter of intent to play soccer at Barton College next season.

“It feels awesome. I’ve been talking to Barton for like three months now, and I finally decided to sign with them,” Smith said. “I played travel soccer for Wilson, and Barton would come to watch those games, so we kind of found each other.”

Smith, who was accepted into Barton’s early nursing program,  joins a team that has not had a losing season since 2016. And Smith’s mindset and work ethic will help the Bulldogs keep up their winning ways on the soccer pitch.

“Interestingly, I coached Taylor in middle school, and just to see the amount of growth from middle school to now is insane,” Spring Creek head coach Jeremy Houser said. “She’s a go-getter, she’s a workhorse, and she’ll do what she has to do to get the ball and score.

“Her skill level is mind-blowing, and I knew she was going to play college soccer in middle school, and she’s going to be a top player in college as well.”

Smith led the Gators with 16 goals this season. A team captain since her sophomore season, Smith has scored 49 goals and 26 assists during her high school career.

“It’s been amazing,” Smith said about playing at Spring Creek. “It’s so family-oriented. There was no drama, and I love the girls.”

She understands what she needs to improve to compete at the college level consistently, and she is ready to turn more dreams into reality.