This previously ran in our December 2022 print issue.

Reilly Bechtel is a talented multi-sport athlete. As a freshman in high school, Bechtel competed on the varsity football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams. Now, only a sophomore, he still has two more years to achieve athletic greatness here at Emmaus, and he intends to make that happen.

Bechtel began in athletics from a young age, doing whatever he could to get involved.

“I started playing a lot of sports when I was very little, like playing soccer, or wrestling, or just simply playing outside,” Bechtel said.

Years later, he understands what an accomplishment it is to go from a young, middle school player to varsity.

“It was awesome,” Bechtel said. “All my hard work finally paid off and it was so cool to be given those opportunities and just be out there [on the field] with the older guys.”

Most multi-sport athletes like Bechtel have a sport they would consider their favorite, whether it be the one they want to dedicate their future to or the one they enjoy playing the most. For Bechtel, football was his clear-cut choice, reflecting on how his bond on and off the field made him realize that.

“I just like the atmosphere, the team bonding, I mean you are with those guys for 10-11 months out of the whole year and you just get really close with everyone,” Bechtel said.

Fans, coaches, and teammates could all see Bechtel’s success on the defense this season. He recorded 54 tackles and four sacks, including a career-high nine tackles in the Hornets 42-21 victory over Easton.

While defense is his usual forte, Bechtel also ran for 66 yards this season and added a touchdown against East Stroudsburg North.

Wrestling is one of the first sports Bechtel participated in and is still one he excels at today. His freshman year, he compiled a 5-5 record in a difficult division. This season, Bechtel looks to improve even further mentally and physically.

“I want to continue to [wrestle] to improve my athletic ability and mental toughness,” Bechtel said.

He placed eighth at the Williamsport Top Hat Tournament and has won his first conference matchup against Pocono Mountain East.

Bechtel only started playing lacrosse in seventh grade, but still earned a spot on varsity his freshman year, and is hoping for an even higher role for his sophomore year. In the 2021 season, he scored in a 19-3 rout of Pleasant Valley.

As an athlete, Bechtel also knows there is always adversity to face, and sometimes things don’t turn out the way you’d want them to.

“When things don’t go my way or my team or I am losing, I think about how hard we have worked and how [the other teams] definitely aren’t doing what we have done,” Bechtel said.

He also had to learn how to effectively manage both academics and athletics.

“Study halls and homerooms are really important, and so is time management,” Bechtel said. “I’m really good at keeping on task with stuff, and it’s just necessary to not let work pile up.”

Even though Bechtel plays three sports, he wants to continue with football after high school.

“I want to break records and become a top recruit in the Class of 2025 and commit to play college football,” Bechtel said.