Kicking Into High Gear: Athens speedy forward TJ Renaud helping add to Athens’ soccer lore
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
TROY — While growing up, every time TJ Renaud walked into the Troy Athens gymnasium and looked up at the dozens of banners high on the wall, he began to daydream.
One day he would like to be a part of all of that success.
That success was being part of something very special — Troy Athens soccer.
Troy Athens senior TJ Renaud loves nothing more than running around on the grass or turf and leading his team to championships. Courtesy Photo | John Dionisio, Dionisio Photography
Fast forward to modern times, and Renaud is every bit a part of that success story. He and his teammates have more than added a few chapters to this impressive novel over the past few years — and they are not done.
“I remember every time I saw all of those soccer banners that I wanted to do something special here. I wanted to play for Athens,” said Renaud, who grew up in Troy and played for the Troy Soccer Club “I wanted to help add some banners up there. My teammates and I talked about it middle school and when we were freshmen we used to watch the varsity play and said how we were going to win (championships) on varsity.”
Have they ever.
Renaud played most of his freshman campaign on the Athens Junior Varsity-A squad that actually won a league title. He was called up to varsity late that 15-4-1 season where Athens finished third in the league and lost in the district semifinals.
For the past three seasons, Renaud has been one of the featured targets on a squad that has compiled a stellar 53-5-4 record, including 9-2-3 this season.
“It’s not like we play an easy schedule, either,” beamed Todd Heugh, a Troy Athens alum and current head coach since 2011. “Besides our conference which is always one of the toughest leagues in the state, we play a really difficult out-of-conference schedule. We still have posted very good records.
Troy Athens senior TJ Renaud weaves through traffic on the soccer field this year. He has led the Red Hawks to their third straight OAA Red Division title. Courtesy Photo | John Dionisio, Dionisio Photography.
“What makes TJ so special is he keeps scoring goals in the big games, and he scores a lot of them in league games,” continued Heugh, who played on a state championship team at Athens and has been the head coach on two others. “He’s had a very good year and a good career to this point. He’s done it this year being marked by the other team’s top defender. Last year we had all of those seniors and we had a lot of goal scorers.”
Renaud had 14 goals as a junior and earned All-State First Team honors. He also garnered All-State Third Team accolades as a sophomore. But 14 players from the 2019 D-1 state championship team graduated leaving gaping holes in the Red Hawks lineup.
Depending on game situation, Renaud can either be found up top at forward tormenting opposing defenses or in the midfield helping create scoring chances for others.
In this shortened 2020 season, he has scored six goals with six assists for a team that is 9-2-3 entering the Division 1 state tournament. All season long Renaud — considered one of the state’s top players and a college recruit — has been a marked man. A deservedly All-State Dream Team and Mr. Soccer candidate in the preseason, Renaud has had to perform with a roster of mostly newcomers.
Besides the 14 players from the 2019 team that finished 23-2-1 gone, many of last year’s starters were also in that large group. This season Renaud has shouldered plenty of the leadership role along with his fellow classmates.
Troy Athens forward/midfielder TJ Renaud was a key member of the Red Hawks’ sixth state championship team in 2019, earning All-State First Team honors.
“Last year we had all of those seniors and everyone expected us to win,” said Renaud. “This year we only had a small group of returnees and I was expected to be a leader this year.”
As one would expect, Renaud is being courted by Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA schools. He also moved up to the Michigan Jaguars club team in 2019 to help improve his game and become more on the spotlight for college recruiters. He won’t make a college decision soon, as indoor and outdoor club season still awaits.
As for high school, the final three weeks of the campaign have arrived. Athens opens up Division 1 tournament play and its title defense on Oct. 14 at home against Utica Ford — the same Ford team that upset then-top-ranked Athens in the 2018 district finals despite a 24-7 shots edge.
“I remember that loss like it was yesterday,” recalled Renaud, whose team finished 21-1-0 in 2018 during his sophomore year. “It killed us to dominate a game so bad and to give up a late goal. But we should have scored and taken care of business.
“That was fuel to the fire for last season, for sure,” added Renaud.
Athens captured OAA Red Division, district, regional and state titles last season and so far this season the Red Hawks captured their third straight league championship. This marked just the third school since the inception of the Oakland Activities Association (OAA) in 1994 that a program has captured at least three straight OAA-Red championships — Rochester (2002-2005) and Rochester Adams (2015-2017) are the others.
Troy Athens senior TJ Renaud has become a marked man in his three-year varsity tenure, and has gained the respect as being one of the Michigan’s top high school players. Courtesy Photo | John Dionisio, Dionisio Photography.
Athens has now won 18 league championships, 18 district titles, 10 regional trophies, played in 10 state semifinal matches, and have captured six state championships in its 40-year history. Renaud and his teammates have truly added to that total and grand history.
“I think we have added a few banners up there,” laughed Renaud. “That was the goal growing up … Hopefully we’re not finished yet.”
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