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By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

When LaGrange High’s Cason Blackburn expressed an interest in playing soccer in college, his coach laid out a blueprint of everything he had to do to make that a reality.

Blackburn listened to his coach, he put in the work, made the connections he needed to, and that effort has paid dividends.

Blackburn, a goal keeper, has signed a letter of intent to join the soccer program at Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), and he celebrated that accomplishment during Wednesday’s ceremony in the Steve Pardue indoor practice facility.

“I remember from the very first time, he said coach I want to go play at the next level,” Pulliam recalled. “So, you have people that want to do that and they’re driven to go and do that, and they show up every day and do what they’re supposed to do. And I kind of laid out the things that he needs to do, and he showed up and he did it every day.”

Blackburn is joining a powerhouse program that has won multiple national championships on the NAIA level.

For Blackburn, it was all about finding the right fit, and he felt comfortable during his time at Lindsey Wilson.

“When I went up there for the training, and to see the whole campus, I thought this is home to me,” Blackburn said. “It feels like LaGrange. That’s what I want, for it to be tight-knit.”

Blackburn grew up playing baseball, but when he got to the eighth grade he started playing junior-varsity soccer and fell in love with the sport, and he has developed into an accomplished goal keeper.

“From the beginning, when I was in the eighth grade and I played JV, it was insane,” Blackburn said. “It just fit.”

Blackburn will be playing for legendary coach Ray Wells, who has led Lindsey Wilson to nine national titles and is the winningest coach in NAIA history.

Before coming to Lindsey Wilson, Wells was the head coach at Andrew College, and one of his players was Pulliam.

“It’s not only exciting for me to see a player sign to go and play at the next level. It’s even more special to me  that he is going to play for a school that has won national championships, and to play for my college coach who is the beset coach in the country, the all-time winningest coach in NAIA history,” Pulliam said. “That makes it even more special to me.”