The second-youngest of six children, Crown Point junior midfielder Brayden Kurtz appreciates what his older siblings have accomplished.
Kurtz’s brothers Bay and Brad, who previously starred for the Bulldogs, are particularly influential.
But Kurtz is forging his own identity.
“People bring it up to me and talk about it,” he said. “I’ll always walk past the hallway and see Bay’s little picture in the Hall of Fame. I’ll look at it, but I don’t mind it. It motivates me.
“It’s competitive with my brothers. It motivates me to be better than them. They also push me pretty hard too. They’ve definitely paved a good path for me to go down. I’ve learned from their mistakes, and that’s helped a lot.”
Kurtz had 10 goals and nine assists to help Crown Point (13-4-2, 6-1) finish second in the Duneland Athletic Conference and reach the Class 3A sectional finals this season. The 2024 Post-Tribune Boys Soccer Player of the Year, Kurtz is a difference-maker with the way he controls and dictates the tempo of games.
“Brayden Kurtz is always the best player on the field,” Crown Point coach Mike Bazin said. “He’s all around one of the best players I’ve had in 10 years. Obviously he has the pedigree.
“The kid literally doesn’t stop on the field. He’s fought through injuries. And on top of that, the kid takes AP classes. It’s hard to find something wrong with the kid.”
Kurtz also impressed Chesterton coach Lucas Sabedra, whose team lost to the Bulldogs in the Class 3A sectional semifinals.
“Brayden has the best presence on the field playing both sides — offense and defense — compared to anyone else in the Region,” Sabedra said.
Kurtz played multiple midfield spots this season and occasionally filled in as a forward and a defender as needed.
“You can move him to every position,” Bazin said. “It doesn’t matter where you put him, he’s going to fit in and do well.
“Almost any time a team could, they man-marked Brayden. That was a lot of games, especially if they knew our team. If they know our team, they’re going to man-mark Brayden.”
Kurtz has become increasingly well known. He was named to the all-state first team by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association, an honor also achieved by his brothers Bay and Brad during their careers.
Bay Kurtz, a 2014 Crown Point graduate, won state titles with the Bulldogs in 2011 and 2013, when he was the Post-Tribune player of the year. He later played at Liberty, Virginia and UNLV. Brad Kurtz, who graduated as a junior in 2016, also was part of the 2013 team. He later played at Virginia, South Carolina and Seattle. Their father, Dave, played at Lamar.
The Bulldogs haven’t won a sectional title since 2017, but Brayden Kurtz still relished the process this season.
“We didn’t get the result we wanted in the sectional championship or the postseason, but we were one of the top teams in the state,” Kurtz said. “As a team together, we played really well, and we’ll be stronger next year. It was a fun season.
“Freshman, sophomore and this year, this year was my favorite. Not just because we had the best record, but it was just because the team was so close. We always did stuff with each other, we had a good time with each other, and the winning.”
Kurtz had a lot to do with that.
“I had to be the captain and the leader of the team,” he said. “I had to mature a little bit and put that on my shoulders. The players responded well. The camaraderie was good. I’m really happy with how the season played out.”
But Kurtz almost didn’t play for Crown Point this season. He had a trial with LAFC’s MLS Academy team. The logistics didn’t work out, however.
“It was a blessing in disguise because this high school season helped me build relationships with the guys and get to know more kids and make connections,” Kurtz said. “I really enjoyed it.
“Going into the summer, I didn’t know if I was going to play or not or if I was going to play MLS Academy. I wasn’t sure. But I was still coming to training and still working hard in the summer with the team. It worked out I got to play high school, and it worked out well.”
After posting four assists as a freshman, Kurtz suffered a broken sacrum and pelvis on April 23, 2023 — a date burned into his brain — when he absorbed two rapid-succession tackles during an under-19 club game in Chicago.
Kurtz said he “got up in a daze” after the first challenge and then left the field after the second.
“I collapsed on the sideline,” he said. “I couldn’t really move. I got rushed to the hospital. I remember being in the hospital room, and I was crying and my dad was like, ‘Dude, you’re going to be good.’ So I have to give him props for that and just for always being there for me.
“But it was scary. They told me I was an inch away from being paralyzed. So the comeback was personal.”
Kurtz came back for his sophomore season, and the only ill effect was sitting out a handful of games and going to physical therapy due to an inflamed muscle related to the injury. He finished with 10 goals and 13 assists.
“Now I have no problems with it,” Kurtz said. “I just have to keep stretching. That’s really it.
“The whole thing was crazy, but that also was a blessing in disguise because I wouldn’t be where I am today if I never broke my back. It’s kind of crazy to say that. But it gave me a lot more drive and made me more serious about stuff and made me want to get better and improve.”
